


Detroit Evolution July Artfest

by Miraichaos



Category: Detroit Evolution - Fandom, Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: DEArtfest, Detroit Evolution, Potential TWs in chapter summaries, reed900
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:28:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 86,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25021684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miraichaos/pseuds/Miraichaos
Summary: Short/medium length fics for the DE Artfest prompts!Each chapter will be a different fic for each prompt, or as many as I am able to write this month.More relationships/characters/specific tags will be added as needed.
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 46
Kudos: 215





	1. Day 1: Reverse AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> GV200, known as Gavin, has been the partner of detective Ari “Nines” Kade for nearly a year. They had a rocky start, as Gavin was never fond of humans, but they grew into a tight, resilient team that could not be divided. That relationship spawned a romance that they believed they were keeping under wraps, though it soon became clear that everyone around them had noticed. As a proud android with a dislike for humans, Gavin never felt inclined to remove his LED. He wanted to keep it so everyone who saw him knew he was an android. However, while trying to apprehend a suspect, Gavin is severely damaged and loses his LED as a result. Another time, he would have been furious, though he has to admit that he likes its new home far better than the side of his head.
> 
> Reverse AU with Human!Nines and Android!Gavin  
> TW: Mentions of blood (thirium) and injury

Following the android revolution, Detective Ari Kade, better known as “Nines,” received a partner. Unlike those who had come and gone in the past, this new person wasn’t just someone with a badge. It was someone special. Someone like Connor. An android.

_“He was the only completed copy of his model when CyberLife halted production following the revolution. He was recovered from CyberLife Tower and brought to New Jericho, where he was deviated by Markus. The GV200 model was created to be somewhat similar to Connor, but more standard-issue. His line was intended purely for detective work rather than hunting deviants, and he doesn’t have all the same capabilities as Connor. He’s also less durable, as he was made to investigate and isn’t combat-oriented, but it was expected that he may need to defend himself in certain situations. He won’t be a hinderance if you find yourselves in a physical altercation.”_

Nines hadn’t been sure what to think after being briefed by Fowler, but decided his best option was to be polite and welcoming to his new partner. He preferred to work alone, though he wasn’t _opposed_ to having a partner. Just because it hadn’t worked out for him in the past didn’t mean it never would.

When Nines first met GV200, who he would later come to know as Gavin, he’d immediately thought Fowler was out of his mind. The android was Nines’ polar opposite: rude, brash, arrogant, and disheveled to Nines’ polite, humble, and polished personality. Gavin and Nines couldn’t seem to agree on _anything_ , and most of their conversations were arguments. They couldn’t seem to tolerate each other. Nines detested Gavin’s careless, aggressive attitude, and Gavin was a proud android who despised humans, especially his uptight partner. Their relationship began ever rockier than that of Hank and Connor, and Hank had pulled his gun on Connor more than once early on in their partnership.

To everyone’s surprise, Gavin and Nines’ relationship improved _drastically_. It took time and effort for them to figure out how they fit together, and their arguments didn’t cease, but they became less hostile and more teasing. The two could still get heated at times, but there were less accusations and more playful jabs. Their number of solved cases skyrocketed, and they proved to be just as reliable a duo as Hank and Connor.

The unlikely success of the Gavin and Nines duo shocked the entire DPD, but what caused an even larger stir was the romantic turn their partnership took after nearly a year of working together. The pair’s PDA was limited to subtle brushes of the backs of their hands, light touches, and overwhelming concern when the other was injured. They were careful to hide their relationship in public and at work, reserving their more personal and loving interactions for when they were behind closed doors. However, one by one their coworkers caught on until everyone was aware of their romance. The two remained oblivious to the fact that they had been discovered until Gavin kept glancing at Nines during a meeting and Fowler called him out.

_“Dammit, Gavin. Stop looking at your boytoy before I kick your plastic ass into next week with a stack of paperwork.”_

After realizing they’d been found out, the two didn’t bother to hide their relationship, but neither were big on public romantic displays. The brushes and touches became less subtle, and occasionally one would catch them with their fingers intertwined, though they weren’t constantly wrapped in each other’s arms. They pair wasn’t secretive, but they weren’t an obvious couple until one observed them carefully and noticed the little things; frequent glances, upturned lips, and the fact that they rarely left each other’s side.

One year and five months after they were first partnered up, Gavin and Nines stood outside an apartment in a run-down part of downtown. Nines raised a fist and knocked lightly.

“This is the Detroit Police Department. Open up, Mr. Leier,” Nines called.

Nines and Gavin were silent as they waited for approaching footsteps, though no sound came. The pair exchanged glances, then Gavin suddenly whipped his attention back to the door.

“What is it?” Nines asked.

“I heard the fire escape.”

Nines motioned for Gavin to stand back, raised a foot, then slammed it into the door. The door flew open with a small spray of woodchips where the lock had ripped through the frame. Neither took notice as they barged into the apartment. From where they stood by the door, the two could see the wide-open window over the fire escape.

Gavin took the lead. He ran for the window and hopped through it expertly, then glanced around in search of their suspect. He couldn’t see well through the grate under his feet, though his scanners picked up a heat signature sloppily making its way to the ground four stories below. Gavin followed with Nines on his heels.

When the suspect reached the ground and tore away from the building in a dead sprint, Gavin and Nines were still three stories up. Gavin growled, grabbed the railing of the fire escape, and jumped over it. His body dropped down to the next floor, where he grabbed the railing again to stop himself before launching away from the fire escape and falling to the ground. The drop was further than Gavin typically would have risked, but the suspect was nearly out of sight, and he didn’t have time to carefully maneuver his way down. Gavin dropped and rolled when he hit concrete, then rose smoothly to his feet and into a sprint boosted by the inertia from his fall.

Nines followed behind Gavin as quickly as he could. He couldn’t drop from one story to the next, or jump from the second floor as Gavin had. While a GV200 wasn’t the most durable android model, Gavin was more resilient than a human like Nines, who had no choice but to stumble down the stairs on the fire escape until he was low enough to jump safely.

While Nines struggled to catch up with his partner and the suspect, Gavin was gaining ground. He was closing in on the suspect inch by inch with every step as he chased the man through alleys and down streets that were more and more heavily populated with each turn. A public chase was never good, but the suspect was a human linked to several android murders and could not be allowed to escape even if apprehending him became a public affair.

Gavin caught the suspect when the man exited an alley only to find himself boxed in by a busy road in front, people clogging the sidewalks on both sides, and two detectives behind him. The suspect skidded to a halt and glanced around frantically for an escape. The momentary pause was enough for Gavin, who flew out of the alley and launched himself at the suspect. They collided, and Gavin tackled the man to the ground where they grappled for control, though Gavin’s enhanced strength was too much for the human beneath him. He was able to hold the man down until Nines finally caught up and pulled handcuffs from his pocket.

“You are under arrest for the murders of several androids in the Detroit area. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law…” Nines rattled off the suspect’s rights as he secured the cuffs while Gavin kept the suspect pinned to the ground. Once the man was properly detained, Gavin backed off and let Nines pull the suspect to his feet.

“Fuck off! They’re fuckin’ lumps of plastic! They aren’t fuckin’ alive!” the man snarled, fighting against Nines’ grip on his arm and shoulder. The suspect growled and turned on Gavin, who snorted.

“My very _alive_ foot just kicked your ass, dipshit. Now if you want to keep admitting to your crimes, I can add that to the recordings I’ve already gathered and slap them all on the judge’s desk while you get hauled off to prison for the rest of you worthless, sleazy _life_.” Gavin hissed his last word in the suspect’s face, then glanced at Nines. His partner usually gave him a disapproving look when he threw being professional out the window and sneered in the faces of anti-android humans, but this time Nines was preoccupied with trying to hold the suspect in place. The man was as tall as Nines and much broader than the rather thin detective trying to keep him from running.

When Gavin’s gaze shifted to Nines, his guard dropped, and the suspect seized the opportunity to take at least one more android down with him. The overconfident GV200 standing in front of him with crossed arms and a bright blue LED was the perfect final victim.

Suddenly, the suspect lurched forward. His mass yanked Nines with him when the detective’s grip didn’t break, and his shoulder slammed into Gavin. The android was sent reeling a few steps backwards, and before he could catch himself, his foot slipped over the edge of the curb and he fell back into the road; right in the path of an oncoming truck.

A piercing screech filled the air as the driver of the truck slammed the breaks, but it was too late. The vehicle slammed into Gavin mid-fall with a sickening _crack_ , and the android was sent flying. Gavin’s body sailed through the air for a moment before it smacked down on the concrete and skidded to a stop. He was motionless on the road as every onlooker went silent.

Nines’ mouth was open in a silent scream as he completely forgot about the suspect in his hold in favor of focusing on his partner. His iron grip on the suspect relaxed, then disappeared when he let go and ran into the road. The truck had managed to come to a stop a few feet away from Gavin, and the driver had already scrambled out the door with a taut, mortified expression on their face as they took in the thirium smeared on the road and the front of their vehicle.

Nines stumbled when he stepped into the road, but he pressed on until he reached Gavin. He knelt weakly and touched his partner’s cheek with gentle fingers as his eyes skimmed over the scrapes and cracks in Gavin’s body. Thirium seemed to leak endlessly from every wound.

Gavin’s half-lidded eyes blinked open fully and landed on Nines as the human stared at him with teary eyes and a strained, helpless expression.

_“Ni…nes.”_

Gavin’s voice was broken and harshly mechanical as he slowly spoke his partner’s name. Error messages and warnings flashed threateningly in his vision, which was cast in a shade of red. The tint made Nines’ bright blue eyes a murky, lifeless purple in Gavin’s vision, and while he wanted to frown, the cracks in his face prevented his expression from changing. He fought to speak again as Nines dug through his pockets for his phone and made a call, all without taking his eyes off of Gavin.

“Hang on, Gavin. I called Fowler. He’s sending a car, and we’re going to get you to CyberLife,” Nines explained breathily with a pained upturn of his lips. “It’ll be okay. Just hang on.”

_“Nine…s.”_

A timer in the corner of Gavin’s vision warned of an impending shut down if repairs were not made immediately. He had lost too much thirium to maintain his systems, and the sheer amount of damage to his body overwhelmed his processors as they were flooded with warnings and notifications.

_“Ni…ne…s.”_

A final warning flashed in Gavin’s eyes. _Shutdown imminent. Entering safe mode._ While the frantic look on Nines’ face as he gently stroked Gavin’s cheek made Gavin’s thirium pump go cold with guilt, he couldn’t stay awake much longer. If he entered stasis, everything but the necessary components in his body would shut down. He’d be able to survive on the little thirium that remained in his system until he was taken to CyberLife for repairs.

_“So…r…ry.”_

Gavin’s final words were nearly inaudible to Nines, whose heart dropped at the sound of them. The human watched helplessly as Gavin’s eyes slipped closed and his flickering LED turned solid red. The android’s head lolled in Nines’ hand, which shook as it paused, then slowly resumed stroking Gavin’s cheek.

“Hang on, Gavin,” Nines whispered. His voice shook and the tears that had been pooling in his eyes spilled over. They dripped onto Gavin’s face and mixed with the thirium that leaked from his nose and the cracks in his body.

Sirens sounded in the distance, though Nines was deaf to them. The world around him was out of reach, even the suspect he’d just cuffed, who was elbowing his way through the crowd to escape. Nothing mattered except Gavin, at least in Nines’ mind. In that moment he desperately wished he was an android himself so he could scan his partner’s injuries, try to help fix him, and could interface with him so Gavin wouldn’t have to struggle to speak. But no. Nines was a human, and Gavin was an android. They were opposites, different in every way, and while that sometimes made their relationship interesting, it also meant there was nothing Nines could do but wait.

Nines would one day forget the dull grey of the sky that day and the murmurs of the crowd behind him. He would forget who they’d been chasing and the color of the truck that hit Gavin. The only thing he wouldn’t forget was the sight of Gavin motionless and broken, his thirium smeared on Nines’ hands.

-000-

_GV200 – System Reboot in Process_

_System Reboot in Process_

_System Reboot in Process_

_System Reboot in Process_

When Gavin blinked his eyes open, his optical sensors were flooded with light. He winced and closed his eyes again.

“GV200?”

An unfamiliar voice made Gavin crack his eyes open again and turn his head to the side, where he found an android woman in a white lab coat and a clipboard in hand. ‘CyberLife’ and ‘Christine’ were embroidered into her coat. A technician.

“Are all you biocomponents functioning properly? Your repairs are complete, but you may need to recalibrate the replacement parts that were installed for maximum functionality,” Christine explained.

Slowly, Gavin pushed himself upright. He looked down at his body, which was pure white plastic. His skin had been retracted and his clothes removed for the repair process. He ran his fingers over the places where he remembered gaping scrapes and cracks to have been. There wasn’t a single flaw in the smooth plastic, and no thirium leaked from his nose when he gently prodded it.

“Did you guys keep my clothes?” he asked, glancing around in search of something to put on before he reactivated his skin.

“I’m sorry, but your clothes were torn and soaked in thirium in your accident. They had to be disposed of,” Christine informed apologetically. “Your partner is waiting for you in the lobby, though, and he brought a new set of clothes for you.” Christine picked up a bag from where it sat on the floor next to the table Gavin was seated on. She held it out for him, and he took it hesitantly. A peek inside revealed the same dark shirt and pants he always wore, along with his favorite jacket, which he thankfully had not been wearing when he got hit.

The chase. The accident. Gavin had almost forgotten about what happened to him. He could faintly remember the pain that overtook his body when the speeding truck slammed into him. He remembered the screech of tires and Nines talking to him as his body started to shut down. He remembered the hot tears from Nines’ eyes that leaked onto his face as he went into stasis to conserve power.

Gavin clenched his jaw at the memories circulating in his mind. While androids were supposed to have perfect recall thanks to the computers that were their brains, Gavin’s memories of his accident were fuzzy at best.

“Was my memory storage damaged when I got hit? I can remember everything that happened, but it’s all… _foggy_.”

“Your sensors and processors were both damaged in your accident. We fully repaired both, and your memories before the incident should all be fully intact, but you can expect to have some difficulty recalling memories between the moment you were hit and when you were rebooted after being repaired,” Christine explained.

Gavin nodded, then rolled his shoulders, grabbed his bag of clothes, and swung his legs over the side of the table. “Is there anything else I need to do before I leave?” he asked.

Christine shook her head. “You should be all set, as long as you aren’t having any difficulty with your new biocomponents or memories outside of the period during which you were damaged. If you run into any issues, please contact us immediately to prevent any further damage or data corruption.” She stepped backwards toward the door. “Your partner has already taken care of all the necessary paperwork, and your bills are covered by the DPD, so you may leave when you’re ready,” she informed, then turned and exited.

Gavin watched the technician leave, then looked back down at the bag of clothes in his hands. He set it down, hopped off the table, then dug out the clothes and slid everything on one by one. Once he was dressed, he reactivated his skin and glanced into the bag to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything. He frowned at the sight of a small plastic pouch at bottom of the bag. He pulled it out with his scanners activated, though they turned off the moment his eyes landed on the pouch’s contents. A slim disc sat securely inside, where it emitted a soft yellow glow.

Gavin’s hand flew to right side of his head, and his fingers traced over the smooth skin where his LED had once been. It wasn’t on his head. It was in the pouch. That was _his_ LED. The LED he has stubbornly kept following the revolution, the obvious physical proof that he was an android. It was something he’d kept proudly, even when insults flew his way at the sight of it. CyberLife had removed it.

The LED went red in Gavin’s hand as rage blossomed red-hot in his chest. He had never asked that his LED be removed, so why had they done it? It pissed him off that CyberLife had managed to control part of him, even if it was something small, when he was not at their command anymore.

Gavin was fuming when he left the small room he’d woken in and stormed to the lobby. He was prepared to have some _very_ harsh words with the next CyberLife employee he saw, regardless of whether or not they were responsible for his LED. 

The boiling anger in Gavin’s chest disappeared the moment he entered the lobby and saw Nines. The human was slumped in a chair with his eyes fixed blankly on the floor. His hair was a disheveled mess, as were his clothes, which Gavin could see were different than what he’d been wearing at the time of the accident. Nines must have changed. Perhaps Gavin’s thirium had ruined his partner’s clothes, too. There were still faint traces of blue in Nines’ hair and on his face and arms, though they had long-since gone invisible to the human eye.

Gavin approached Nines slowly with a look of concern. His partner looked nothing like the prim and polished man Gavin always knew him to be. Nines was hunched and defeated, left as an empty ghost of who he usually was.

“Hey, meat sack.”

Nines’ head whipped up at the sound of the silly pet name Gavin had given him in the early months of their partnership. At first, it had been an insult. Then it was something endearing. In that moment, there was nothing Nines wanted to hear more.

“Gavin?” Nines breathed as he sprang up from his chair. His eyes roamed frantically from Gavin’s head to his toes, then back up. They lingered where the most severe damage had been before Gavin was repaired, and one of his fingers lightly traced a line where a large crack had split Gavin’s face just hours ago.

“Yeah, I’m here. All in one piece,” Gavin said with a lopsided smile and a wave of his hand. _Well, not all._ Technically he was in two pieces, one being his body and the other the LED tucked into his pocket. Gavin didn’t mention it, though, not when the troubled crease in Nines’ brow didn’t relax no matter how long he stared.

Nines didn’t speak again. His fingers kept brushing over Gavin’s body: his arms, his shoulder, his face, and his hair. It was as if the human needed something physical to prove to himself that the android in front of him was real and not some wishful hallucination.

Gavin glanced back at the receptionist, who was eyeing them suspiciously. More specifically, she was watching Nines’ fingers trailing over Gavin’s skin. Gavin cringed, gently grabbed one of Nines’ hands, and tugged him toward the door. “Let’s step outside, meat sack,” he said.

Nines hesitated to move until Gavin did. The human followed his partner out of the building and around the back to the parking lot all without trailing more than a foot away.

“You’re gonna’ have to tell me where the car is parked, I don’t-“

Gavin was cut off when Nines’ arms suddenly wrapped around him and pulled him tight to the human’s chest. Gavin was tense for a moment, then he slowly began to relax. He wrapped his arms around Nines in return and let his chin rest on his partner’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” Nines mumbled into Gavin’s hair.

Gavin frowned. “What for?”

“If I was strong enough to hold him back, he wouldn’t have been able to push you.”

Blurry memories of their suspect lurching toward him and shoving him into the road filled Gavin’s mind. He remembered stumbling into the path of the truck, though he couldn’t recall the look on Nines’ face when it happened. Perhaps he hadn’t seen it. Either that, or the data containing that memory had been corrupted or erased by the accident.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Gavin assured. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I couldn’t stop him.”

Aware that no number of words would change Nines’ mind or erase the guilt he had taken on himself, Gavin opted to keep his mouth shut and hug Nines tighter. He activated his scanners and kept watch of his partner’s elevated pulse and blood pressure. Only when they slowly dropped to lower, more average levels did he declare his partner calm and pull away. Gavin glanced at the dark shadows that had been forming under Nines’ eyes recently as work piled up and the human found less time to sleep. The shadows seemed to have grown since the last time Gavin had seen Nines, but according to his internal clock, only seven hours had passed since the accident.

“It’s almost midnight. Let’s go home, meat sack.”

Nines nodded numbly at Gavin’s words, then turned and started into the parking lot. Gavin followed close behind. Neither spoke on the way to the car, and the silence continued until hallway through their drive.

Nines’ eyes were glued to the road, but Gavin could see that his mind was elsewhere.

“Nines.”

No response.

“ _Nines_.”

Nines startled and glanced at Gavin before returning his gaze to the road. “Is something wrong?” Nines asked. “The repair facility is open twenty-four hours. We can go back if you need to,” he said.

“ _I’m_ fine,” Gavin responded. He shifted in his seat to face Nines the best he could while trapped by his seat belt. “But something’s up with you. If you’re still worked up over the accident-“

“It’s not that,” Nines interjected.

Gavin’s scanners told him his partner was lying, but Nines had finally spoken, and Gavin kept quiet to prevent him from clamming up again. “What’s up, then?”

Nines hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Gavin again. “They had to remove your LED.”

Gavin couldn’t stop the snort that escaped him. “ _That’s_ what you’re upset about? My LED? It’s a light on the side of my head, Nines, not my fuckin’ thirium pump.”

“It isn’t _just_ a light, Gavin. Not to you.” Nines’ tone was tense. “So many androids chose to remove their LED after the revolution because they wanted to look human. You never cared about that. You’re _proud_ to be an android. You kept your LED because you _want_ people to know who you are, and because of the accident today, you lost it.”

“Yeah? What happened to it?” Gavin asked before he could stop himself. He saw a pained look cross Nines’ face at his question, but it was too late to take the words back, and part of him demanded an answer.

Nines’ jaw tensed and he squeezed the steering wheel until his knuckles went white. “After you got hit, you slid across the pavement. It left some deep scratches and superficial damage, but it also nearly scraped your LED off. It was only partially attached when you were taken in, and I asked the technicians to save it if they could. After your repairs were finished and you were being rebooted, one of them came out and told me your LED had fallen off during repairs. It’s still connected to you wirelessly and will change color as usual, but they couldn’t put it back on. I asked them not to throw it away in case you wanted to keep it, but there was nothing else I could do.”

Gavin was silent as he digested the new information. He didn’t have any memory of his LED being on the list of damages that had clogged his vision with error messages after he was hit, but the list had been endless. A notification about his LED could have been hidden anywhere in it, and he hadn’t been focused enough to process every notification at the time.

When Gavin noticed Nines’ pulse quicken, he glanced at his partner and shook his head. “You did what you could. I’m still an android whether I have my LED or not, alright? Don’t get hung up on it,” Gavin dismissed. Nines’ pulse slowed slightly, but it was still faster than usual with lingering agitation.

Silence fell once again and remained in place until the two reached their shared apartment. Once upon a time, it had been Nines’ alone. Gavin had moved in when they started going out and Nines had learned that Gavin had no house of his own and spent all his time at the precinct.

Nines and Gavin kicked of their shoes at the door, and Nines immediately started toward the kitchen table where his laptop waited. Gavin stopped him with a firm hand on his shoulder.

“Go to bed, Nines. You look like shit.”

Nines shrugged his partner’s hand off. “I still need to do today’s work. I didn’t get anything done while waiting at CyberLife. I couldn’t focus.”

“I’ll do it. Go to bed. You need sleep.”

“Gavin-“

“I don’t care if you’re three inches taller than me, _I will drag your ass to bed if you don’t go to sleep_ ,” Gavin threatened.

Nines glanced at Gavin with tired eyes, then relented with a sigh. “Fine, but wake me up early so I can do some work before we go back to the precinct.”

“Of course,” Gavin agreed. It was a blatant lie, but Nines seemed to be too tired to realize it. “G’night, meat sack.”

Nines yawned. “Good night, Gavin.” He stumbled toward the bedroom, and Gavin watched his partner sloppily strip off his jacket before collapsing onto his bed without bothering to change out of his jeans. Gavin considered telling Nines to change his clothes before he slept, as jeans were notably uncomfortable to sleep in and often restricted circulation during rest, but opted against it when his scanners revealed that Nines had passed out in seconds.

“Not tired, my ass,” Gavin muttered as he shrugged off his jacket and made his way to the kitchen table. He tossed his jacket carelessly over the back of his chair as he sat down in front of Nines’ laptop and logged into it with an interface. The browser opened alongside a word document as Gavin waited for everything to load. He paused with his hands hovering over the keyboard when an advertisement in the corner of the screen caught his attention.

Gavin reached into his pocket and withdrew the baggie that held his LED. He glanced at the soft blue light, looked back at the ad, then returned his attention to the LED. His gaze went back and forth between the two for a moment, then he slid the LED back into his pocket. He didn’t have time to distract himself. There was work to be done. However, he was sure to save the ad in his memory. Perhaps he would return to it later on.

-000-

Nines was prepared to burst out of their apartment with a half-buttoned shirt and uncombed hair when he woke twenty minutes before he and Gavin were due to be at work. He called out for his partner in annoyance when he couldn’t find him anywhere, and was about to resort to calling Gavin on the phone when the android suddenly walked in through the front door.

“Gavin! Where have you been!? We’re supposed to be at work in ten minutes!” Nines hissed frantically as he searched around for his keys.

Gavin stopped Nines with a hand on his chest. “Cool it, meat sack. Fowler contacted me early this morning and said we’re taking the next few days off. He wants me to make sure I don’t have any bugs or anything before I go back to work, and he thinks you need some downtime after watching your partner get hit by a truck.”

Nines froze as he processed Gavin’s words in the tired haze of his mind. Slowly he relaxed and ran a hand through his messy hair in a poor attempt to tame it. “Oh,” Nines murmured, dragging his hands over his face and rubbing at his burning eyes. “That isn’t necessary. You should take a break, but I can work.”

“Nope, you need to take a day to relax,” Gavin countered. “Now go eat something before you pass out. Your blood sugar levels are way too low.”

Nines opened his mouth to protest, then sighed and shut it when his stomach rumbled uncomfortably.

Gavin watched Nines stumble toward the kitchen in search of breakfast. He scanned him, and the results revealed that the human was only half awake. When his panic-fueled wave of adrenaline faded, it left him so low on energy that his exhaustion was indicated starkly on his scan. There was something else amiss, though. Nines should have been asleep for approximately seven and a half hours, though his body was functioning as if he’d only gotten a few hours of rest.

The smell of something burning caught Gavin’s attention, and he briefly forgot about his partner’s poor condition as he followed the bitter smell to the kitchen.

Nines stood over the stove with a pan of eggs burning in front of him. His hand held the panhandle in a tight grip, and his skin was an angry red from the heat. Nines didn’t seem to notice. His gaze was fixed on the empty space in front of him, and his eyes were glazed over.

“Nines!” Gavin rushed forward and twisted the knob on the front of the stove to turn off the burner. He grabbed his partner’s forearm, and suddenly Nines jerked in his grip and let go of the hot pan, which clinked as it hit the burner it had been hovering over.

The skin on Nines’ hand was an even brighter red than Gavin had thought, and the hand shook as Gavin pulled his partner to the kitchen sink and stuck the scalded hand under a spray of cold water. Nines hissed in pain, though the tension began to seep from his tight jaw as the water soothed his burned hand.

“What the hell was that?!” Gavin nearly snarled as Nines turned off the water and gently wrapped a clean kitchen towel around his hand.

“Sorry. I guess I’m not quite awake yet.”

“Yeah, no shit!”

Gavin marched to the stove, snatched the abandoned pan and a knife, and scraped the burned eggs into the trash. He dropped the pan in the sink to be washed later, then grabbed Nines and dragged him to the living room where he all but threw him down on the couch.

“Gavin-“

“What the hell is up with you? I’m the one who got hit by a truck, but you’re out here spacing out like it was _your_ brain that got crushed!” Gavin shouted.

“I know. That’s the _problem_!” Nines retorted sharply.

Gavin wanted to yell something nasty in return, but he bit back his words when he saw his partner’s glassy eyes. While getting into arguments was one of Gavin’s talents, he recognized that it wasn’t the time to do so. Something was wrong with Nines, and a screaming match would only make the issue worse. Instead of yelling, Gavin took a moment to calm himself before he spoke.

“What happened, Nines?”

Nines was quiet, then he crossed his arms and sank back into the couch. “I couldn’t sleep last night. I had a nightmare where I was back at the road where you got hit, but this time, you died instead of going into stasis.” He paused and bit his lip. “It kept happening over and over again every time I closed my eyes,” he croaked. His voice was low and his misty eyes were fixed on his lap.

“Hey,” Gavin dropped lazily onto the couch at Nines’ side and bumped his partner’s arm with an elbow, then gestured to himself. “I’m here, all in one piece, just like I said at CyberLife. It’ll take more than a guy who hates androids and a truck to get rid of me.” Gavin huffed in amusement. “You should know by now that I’m too damn stubborn to up and die like that.”

A small smile crept onto Nines’ face, then disappeared in an instant. “Maybe, but your LED…” His gaze flickered momentarily to the spot on the side of Gavin’s head where the glowing light had once been.

Gavin sighed and rolled his eyes. “For the last time, Nines, _it’s just a light_. I’m still and android, with or without my LED.”

“It was important to you, though.”

Gavin nodded. “Yeah, it was. So… Thanks for making sure they didn’t throw it away when it fell off. At CyberLife.”

Nines blinked slowly. “I’m sorry they couldn’t save it.”

“It’s fine. Besides-“ Gavin reached into his pocket and dug around until his hand closed around his LED. He pulled it out, untangled the leather cord he had strung through it earlier that morning, and looped the cord around Nines’ neck. The LED came to rest on Nines’ chest.

“What…” Nines stared down at the necklace in confusion as he slowly took the LED in his uninjured hand. He stared at it as the color shifted from blue to yellow, then back.

Gavin scratched the back of his head. “I saw an ad last night when I was working. It was for a jeweler who makes android LEDs into jewelry. I guess it’s kind of a trend for androids to make their LEDs into rings and shit for their partners.” He paused for a moment as he watched Nines turn the LED over and slide his fingers over the leather cord. “I’m not a huge fan of trends, but I don’t really have a use for it. It’s still too important to throw away, so… I want you to have it.”

“Are you sure?” Nines asked.

Gavin nodded. “Yeah. I just threw it on a cord I bought from the store this morning because that jeweler charges, like, two hundred dollars per piece, but it looks good on you.” He glanced at the light, which shone bright blue, then looked to his partner’s eyes. “Goes well with your eyes. At least, when it’s blue, it does.”

Nines grinned and finally lifted his gaze to meet Gavin’s. “Thank you,” he breathed. “I love it.”

Gavin couldn’t suppress the smile that crept onto his face as he watched Nines run his fingers over the LED and cord again and again. The human stared at it with an air of wonder that made every ounce of disappointment over losing his LED disappear from Gavin’s chest. He was almost _glad_ his LED had fallen off. It was a worthy trade for the look on his partner’s face, which he burned into his memory ten times over.

“Don’t love it too much, meat sack. I might get jealous,” Gavin joked.

A chuckle slipped through Nines’ lips and rang lightly in Gavin’s ears. “No promises,” Nines responded as he glanced at the necklace again. He looked back to Gavin, and the two shared a long, soft look before Nines leaned into his partner and wrapped him in a hug. His face burrowed into Gavin’s neck, and the android felt the heat of overflowing tears on his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re okay,” Nines murmured.

Gavin let his head drop lightly against Nines’. “Me too, meat sack.”

As days, weeks, then months passed, Gavin never failed to smile when he saw Nines wearing his LED necklace every single day. He loved that Nines had part of him with him at all times no matter how far apart they had to go. The human almost never took the necklace off, and when he was stumped by a case or stressed out, his fingers sought the small ring of light that rested over his chest. The LED would flicker in time with Gavin’s fluttering thirium pump every time he caught Nines’ new nervous habit. Perhaps he should have scraped off his LED a hell of a lot sooner.


	2. Day 2: Sharing a Bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin and Nines are sent to Atlanta to assist in a major case concerning the serial murders of androids that has left the city’s police in a desperate search for answers. During their flight, Nines’ processors encounter a major error while trying to organize the information they have on the case. The error occurs at the end of their flight, so he has no time to correct it on the plane, and it is late when the two check into their hotel. Nines can’t access the file until the error is corrected, meaning he has until morning to sort out the problem. However, that requires going into stasis for an extended period of time. The problem? There are two of them, and only one bed.

“You _what!?_ ”

Gavin’s shout drew glares from those near him and Nines at the Hartsfield-Jackson International airport in Atlanta, Georgia.

“Please don’t be so loud,” Nines said, offering apologetic looks to those around them.

A low growl rumbled in Gavin’s throat as he reluctantly lowered his voice. “Fowler gave you all of the info on this case _and you corrupted it!?_ ” he hissed.

“It isn’t _corrupted_ , it’s _disorganized_. _Severely_. I was trying to sort everything out during the flight, but I encountered an error during landing. I don’t know what caused it, but I can fix it. I just need to spend a few hours in stasis to do so.”

“Fuckin’-“ Gavin clenched his jaw, crossed his arms, and sighed. “As long as we aren’t walking in blind tomorrow, I don’t give a shit. Just – figure it out.” He growled again and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. “If we fuck up this case, Fowler’s gonna’ kick _both_ of our asses.”

Nines nodded. “I understand, Gavin. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,” he assured. “We should get to our hotel, though. It’s getting late, and we need to be at the Atlanta PD early in the morning.”

The pair waited by the baggage claim until their luggage looped around the conveyor belt, then Nines made a call for a taxi to meet them outside and take them to their hotel. Due to the error he’d encountered, his LED was stuck glowing red and his processors worked slower than usual. For the first time since his awakening, he was made to wait for his request to process before it was sent out from his mind.

“Why doesn’t the APD just get their own detective android instead of dragging our asses down from Detroit?” Gavin complained as he and Nines made their way out of the airport.

“Connor and I were the only of our kind ever made, and the ethicality of android production is still under scrutiny. It will likely be years before anyone produces anything but biocomponents for existing androids. So, unless either Connor or I are sent elsewhere, no cities besides Detroit will be able to get their hands on proper detective androids. Besides, a few days of our time is worth catching the serial killer who’s been murdering androids left and right in Atlanta,” Nines reminded.

“Yeah? Well, if it was anything less than a serial killer, I wouldn’t be wasting my time flying across the fuckin’ country just because another city’s detectives can’t pull their heads out of their asses long enough to identify a suspect.”

Nines raised an eyebrow. “We both know it isn’t that easy to solve a case.”

“It better fuckin’ not be,” Gavin warned, referring to the case they were stuck with at the moment.

When the two stepped outside, the muggy evening air instantly made their clothes stick to their skin, and Gavin’s hair threatened to curl from the humidity.

“Why the fuck is it so damn hot? It’s past ten at night. The fuckin’ sun isn’t even out anymore.”

“We’re in Georgia, Gavin.”

“No shit, Tin Can. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I can’t fuckin’ wait to get back to Michigan and its tolerable climate.”

Gavin’s sour attitude failed to cease even after he and Nines found their taxi and settled into the air-conditioned cab. Thankfully he didn’t fuss on the way to their hotel, though his annoyance was palpable. Nines took care to tip their driver a little extra to make up for the tense ride.

The two paused outside their hotel, which was a relatively simple rectangular building of off-white brick and uniform windows. There were a few restaurants and a Starbucks across the road. Nines took note of them before he and Gavin made their way into the hotel.

The man at the checkout desk greeted Gavin and Nines with a tired, yet polite smile, and Nines tapped Gavin’s shoulder as the detective checked them in.

“I’ll be right back,” Nines said, then turned and walked hurriedly back outside. Gavin was waiting by the elevator when his partner came back with a white cup in hand, which he held out to Gavin.

Gavin eyed the cup, then carefully accepted it. He took a cautious swig of the hot coffee and gave a nod of approval. “Thank fuckin’ god,” he groaned as Nines pushed the call button for the elevator. “Stupid fuckin’ airline made me dump my perfectly good coffee when we went through security. What was I gonna’ do, pour it into the fuel tank?”

“You’d be surprised what damage a dedicated person could cause to a flight with a cup of coffee,” Nines warned.

“They should worry less about the fuckin’ exhausted cop and more about the terminator sitting next to him,” Gavin complained into his cup. “You could knock a plane out of the sky by blinking.”

Nines let out an amused huff, then stepped into the elevator when the doors opened. Gavin followed behind him, already halfway through the coffee. The elevator lifted smoothly to the fifth floor, then dinged as the doors slid open and let the pair out. Nines trailed behind Gavin as the detective wandered down the hallway glancing at room numbers until he found theirs.

Gavin pressed their keycard to the lock, which clicked loudly when it released. He shoved the door open and immediately made for the bed, where he plopped down heavily on the springy mattress and chugged the rest of his coffee. When he knew the cup was empty, he chucked it into the trashcan by the door, narrowly missing Nines.

“Maybe I should’ve played basketball. Pays more than being a cop,” Gavin pondered.

“I’m pretty sure most teams want players to be at least six feet tall. I’m afraid you don’t quite reach the requirement – literally,” Nines teased.

Gavin shot his partner a glare, but said nothing in return. It seemed the coffee had pacified him and his nasty attitude as Nines had hoped.

Nines winced at an uncomfortable twinge in his head. For a moment, he had forgotten about the data folder from Fowler that awaited him in stasis. It would take hours to straighten out the jumble of tangled evidence and information.

“Still glitching, Tin Can?”

Nines glanced at Gavin, who had lain back on the bed and was watching him with a slight look of concern.

“I have yet to go into stasis to resolve the error that is currently clogging my processors,” Nines confirmed. “Unfortunately, that means I’m functioning slower than usual.”

“Still faster than me,” Gavin offered.

Nines shrugged, then glanced at the small clock on the bed’s nightstand. He frowned. “You should probably get some sleep, Gavin. It’s almost eleven, and we need to be at the APD precinct by six to meet with the captain about the case.”

Gavin sat up on the bed and checked his phone, then tossed it carelessly on the sheets next to him. “I was just gonna’ wait until you finished sorting out the case info so I can read it tonight.”

“It’ll take more than an hour to fix the error. I should have it done by five, though, so I can pass everything along for you to read on the way into work tomorrow.”

“I can wait. I downloaded a bunch of dumb games on my phone for the flight, anyway. I’ll just play those until you’re done,” Gavin decided, picking up his phone again.

Nines sighed. “Sleep, Gavin. The APD chief may have specifically requested a team with an android, but there are many cops here who still consider us subhuman. It’ll be hard enough for some of them to take _me_ seriously, and I don’t want them to ignore you too because you’re so tired you look like a corpse.”

“Looking like a corpse isn’t always a bad thing. Haven’t you seen any of those movies where some chick falls for a zombie-vampire or some shit? Maybe I’m a hot corpse. People listen to hot corpses,” Gavin reasoned.

“Was there something in that coffee, by any chance? Or do you need sleep more than I thought?”

Gavin grabbed a pillow and chucked it at Nines, who caught it single-handedly and lightly threw it back.

“You’re the one with the corrupted data, Nines, not me,” Gavin reminded.

“ _Go to sleep_ ,” Nines insisted. He fixed his partner with a stern look, then crossed the room and paused in the corner. Nines clasped his hands loosely behind his back and shut his eyes as he prepared to enter stasis.

“Hold up. What the _hell_ are you doing?” Gavin asked.

Nines kept his eyes closed. “I’m about to enter stasis and start working on this file.”

Gavin snorted. “Are you _trying_ to give me more nightmares? I’m gonna’ freak the fuck out if I wake up in the middle of the night and see some red shadow dude standing in the corner of the room.”

Nines dropped his hands to his sides and opened his eyes. “Where would you prefer I be, then?”

“I dunno, Nines. Why don’t you just sleep on the bed like a normal fuckin’ person?”

Nines frowned. “You do realize there’s one bed in this room, right?”

“Yeah, and?” Gavin asked.

“Well, there are two of us.”

“Beats lurking in the corner.”

“Yes, but…”

Gavin nearly snorted. “Wait, hold up. Are you telling me the Big Bad Tin Can could tackle a suspect twice his size without batting an eye, but is too nervous to sleep in the same bed as his goddamn _boyfriend_?”

Nines felt his face heat up, though he couldn’t make his fans spin faster to cool his thirium. The lingering error in his head prevented him from accessing them.

Gavin shook his head and chuckled lightly to himself as he stood up and searched for his bag, which he’d tossed aside upon entering the room. “Relax, Nines. You look like someone’s got a sniper on your head, or something,” he said as he rummaged through his bag for a comfortable change of clothes to sleep in. When he gathered his things, Gavin stepped into the bathroom. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, as long as I don’t find you standing in the corner or some shit!” he hollered through the bathroom door as he closed it.

Nines blinked, then his gaze slowly shifted to the lone bed in the room. It wasn’t small by any means and could comfortably fit two people in it with room to spare, though he couldn’t shake the nervousness coursing through his limbs not matter how much he reasoned with himself. Maybe it was the nature of his relationship with Gavin. Perhaps, was it someone he wasn’t in a romantic relationship with, he wouldn’t have minded going into stasis inches away from another person.

There had been multiple times in the past when physical intimacy came up in conversation, whether it was Gavin or Nines who mentioned it, or someone else. Gavin had never questioned Nines or tried to push him past what he was comfortable with. There was no doubt in Nines’ mind that he trusted Gavin wouldn’t try anything that might make him uncomfortable, though that fact failed to ease his anxiety. He couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him. He’d sat next to Gavin before with their sides pressed together, their hands clasped, and Gavin’s head on his shoulder the night he first witnessed his partner having a nightmare. He’d been fine with the proximity then, so why was he so bothered now? Was it because, in stasis, his awareness of his physical body would be lower? Was it because Gavin had still been just his partner back then, nothing more, and now he was something greater?

Nines closed his eyes and shook his head. He wasn’t helping his cause by overthinking. Instead of feeding his anxiety, he marched to the bed, sat down on the edge of it, and slowly lowered himself onto the mattress. The bed creaked under his weight as he shifted until he was comfortable. He settled his arms loosely at his sides, then closed his eyes. Nines didn’t intend to enter stasis right away. He needed a moment to relax first, to make his thirium pump stop racing and his mind focus on the task at hand. He needed to fix the error in his head. Nothing else mattered, not at the moment.

When Gavin walked out of the bathroom in a tank top and athletic shorts, he paused at the sight of Nines on the bed. His partner was lying flat on his back in the same neat, soldier-like posture as he had at CyberLife after he was attacked by Ada. The memory made Gavin feel cold, especially because Nines’ LED was bright red just like it had been that night, though the chill receded when Nines spoke.

“If you need anything, I can be awoken from stasis at any time. While my awareness will be dampened, I’ll still be able to notice outside stimulus. If you talk to me or try to shake me awake, unless a more serious error occurs while I fix the current one, I will exit stasis immediately,” Nines informed.

“Nice to know,” Gavin said. He turned off the room light, then fumbled through the darkness until he found the unoccupied side of the bed, where he flopped down on the mattress with a sigh. Gavin squirmed in place until he felt comfortable on the foreign bed. “G’night, Nines.”

“I’ll see you in the morning, Gavin.”

In seconds, Nines went totally still. The faint light from his LED hardly lit the room.

Gavin stared at his partner from across the bed. There was a gap between them, as Nines was already anxious about being on the bed in the first place, and Gavin himself would never admit he didn’t hate cuddling. Whether the gap was too large or too small, Gavin wasn’t sure, though he dismissed the thoughts from his mind and groped around within for the tendrils of sleep. They came to him slowly, and after what felt like hours, darkness finally claimed him.

-000-

Nines almost sighed in relief when he finally detangled the mess of information in his head. The culprit behind the error turned out to be malware hidden deep within the photo evidence Fowler had given him, which had originally been sent by the APD. Nines made a mental note to inform the APD captain that one of their officers’ computers was compromised. He could only hope that had been the case, and the malware hadn’t been intended for him.

A sharp intake of breath caught Nines’ attention. He exited stasis, bolted upright in bed, and looked to the source. Gavin was sprawled out on his back and twitching violently in his sleep. His breaths were shallow and quick.

“Gavin?” Nines called. He closed the gap between them and set a hand on his partner’s shoulder. “Gavin.” He shook him lightly. “Gavin, _wake up_.”

Gavin lashed out, still stuck in a nightmare. His arm nearly struck Nines, who narrowly caught it.

“Gavin, hey, wake up. It’s a dream. Wake up. You’re safe.” Nines’ words were a mantra he repeated with one hand locked around Gavin’s wrist and the other on his partner’s shoulder until Gavin’s eyes flew open.

For a moment, Gavin struggled in Nines’ grip, though he relaxed when his eyes finally focused on the android who hovered over him.

“It’s okay,” Nines whispered, letting go of Gavin. He pulled back to give his partner some room, and Gavin pushed himself upright with a deep, heavy breath.

“Sorry,” Gavin breathed. He drew up his knees and rested his elbows on them, letting his head droop as he fought to regain control of his breathing. He tensed when Nines laid a hesitant hand on his back, then relaxed into the touch. The pair sat together in silence, unmoving, until Gavin finally laid back down with a sigh.

Nines glanced at the time. “It’s only three in the morning. You should try to get some more sleep,” he recommended.

Gavin shook his head. “It’s kinda’ hard to sleep when you have to watch your partner get murdered by some psycho android chick every time you close your eyes.” The nightmare had been a recurring one since the night Nines nearly died at Ada’s hands.

“Would it…” Nines paused and looked down at his hands in his lap. “Would it help if I….moved closer?” he asked hesitantly. “When you had that nightmare while we were working on Ada’s case… You slept well after I stayed with you.”

Gavin’s pulse spiked, but Nines pretended not to notice. Neither said anything, then finally Gavin shifted slightly toward Nines’ side of the bed.

“Do whatever you want. I don’t care.” The elevation of Gavin’s body temperature said otherwise, though Nines didn’t mention it.

Slowly, Nines laid back down, then moved until his and Gavin’s shoulders were touching. He didn’t move beyond that, and when Gavin’s pulse failed to slow to a resting rate as minutes passed, he sent his partner a glance. Gavin was still wide awake.

“Is something wrong?” Nines asked quietly.

“No.”

“You aren’t sleeping.”

“Yes I am.”

“You’re talking to me, not sleeping.”

Gavin went quiet.

“Ignoring me doesn’t mean you’re asleep.”

“Yes, it does.”

Nines paused. “Are you still worried about your nightmares?”

Gavin didn’t respond, and that was all the confirmation Nines needed.

After a moment of hesitation, Nines steeled himself, then turned onto his side so he faced Gavin. With one arm tucked under his head, Nines reached out with his free arm and slung it over Gavin, who tensed as Nines pressed into his side.

“Does this help?” Nines’ thirium pump was frozen as he waited or a response.

“…Yes.”

A small smile turned up the corners of Nines’ lips, and he let himself relax. He worried he may have pushed too far a moment later when Gavin suddenly rolled over to face him, but instead of meeting his gaze or speaking, Gavin tucked his head under Nines’ chin. Their legs tangled together, and Nines adjusted his free arm so it hung casually around Gavin’s waist.

“They should turn down the fuckin’ AC. It’s cold as shit,” Gavin mumbled.

Nines knew Gavin’s words were just a poor excuse for their closeness even without knowing the exact temperature of the room. His partner had been complaining about the heat since their flight landed, and the cool hotel was their only reprieve. Besides, if temperature were truly an issue, the two were laying on three layers of sheets and blankets. Gavin didn’t _need_ to sleep so close to Nines, not unless he wanted to. The thought made Nines’ smile widen a fraction, and he let himself appreciate his and Gavin’s proximity. While he may not have been interested in… _that_ , he was not at all opposed to physical contact. In fact, he liked it; _a lot_. It made him feel like he wasn’t alone. Perhaps Gavin felt the same way, but was to stubborn to admit it.

“Wake me up when you finish with that file.” Gavin’s voice was quiet and gravely as he spoke from the edge of sleep.

“Of course,” Nines agreed. It seemed that Gavin hadn’t noticed his LED was no longer red. He didn’t know Nines had already finished fixing the file for their case before he emerged from stasis. Nines didn’t consider correcting his partner, though. It wouldn’t hurt to let Gavin think he was in stasis a little bit longer.

As Gavin’s vitals slowed to resting rates, Nines stayed awake. He wasn’t usually the type to idle, but he didn’t want to return to stasis, either. He didn’t want to lose awareness of where he was, or who was breathing softly against his collar. Instead, he savored the few hours of peace that remained until he and Gavin inevitably had to pull apart and go to work.


	3. Day 3: College AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin’s had a few run-ins with campus security. After all, he’s notorious for breaking the rules, whether it’s smoking in his dorm, trespassing, or attending parties. He’s never gone far enough to get expelled, though, and always has a laugh when the same old security guards take him back to his dorm building with a stern warning and the occasional curfew. However, Gavin is thrown for a loop when a party he's at is busted, and as he tries to escape, he -quite literally- runs into campus security guard Nines Kade, the infamous 'Terminator' no rule-breakers could escape. Nines is Gavin's polar opposite, but during their short meeting, Gavin finds that Nines may not be the one-dimensional prick everyone thinks he is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AKA, an excuse to write Gavin as if was a bit more care-free like Lazzo.

At first, Gavin didn’t plan to go to the party. He’d had two major tests in his classes earlier in the day and had to wake up at the ass-crack of dawn to study for them. All he wanted to do was sleep, but at eleven o’clock at night, he was sneaking out of his dorm and making a run for the address a friend had texted him.

The party was… _a party_. The house was huge, and couples sneaked away into bedrooms while groups of friends huddled together passing around joints and drugs – anything contraband that a student had managed to get their hands on was present.

For Gavin, a party was a chance to unwind. Nothing mattered, not his grades, exams, tuition, or future. It was all about being in the moment. Colored lights illuminated the massive, dark living room. He danced sloppily to the music with a drink in hand that made him just tipsy enough that he couldn’t wipe the smirk off his face as he threw away his stresses and _lived_. He could dance dirty with whoever returned his flirty stares and drink until he couldn’t walk straight. The inevitable massive hangover was a problem for the future.

He heard the shouts before he heard the sirens.

_“COPS!”_

Fuck. The police didn’t always show, but when they did, there was no time to hesitate. One moment, Gavin was fiddling playfully with a bright orange glow stick that hung around the neck of a _very_ attractive guy. The next, he was running for the nearest exit.

The music cut, and the colorful flashing lights died. Gavin was left stumbling through darkness and bodies as red and blue flashed through the windows. He was about to slip out the back door with a group of others when a cop appeared in the doorway with a flashlight in hand. The bright beam was blinding, and Gavin turned and ran for the stairs before he could be caught.

While police swarmed the main floor, the second floor was a mess of stragglers. Couples, trios, and groups so big Gavin couldn’t be bothered to count their numbers stumbled out of bedrooms with disheveled clothes and hair. Drunken young adults tripped on air as they searched for a way out.

Gavin himself was slightly buzzed, but not enough that he couldn’t focus. He kept his feet under him as he dodged frantic partygoers and made a beeline for an open window at the end of the main hallway. A peek outside showed him that the drop to the ground wasn’t for the faint of heart, but Gavin was a man of few worries. He was also a man who had jumped out of high windows quite a few times for a number of reasons.

A cop’s flashlight illuminated the hallway for a quarter of a second before Gavin hurdled out the window. Cool air tickled his skin and ruffled his messy hair as the ground rushed to meet him. He dropped to the dirt and rolled upon impact, then in one fluid motion, rose to his feet and sprinted into the darkness of the surrounding neighborhood. He heard shouts behind him, but no one pursued him. Why chase one person when there were dozens more trapped in the house?

Gavin’s lips lifted into a wicked smile as laughter bubbled in his throat. While the arrival of the cops never failed to make his heart skip a beat in fear, the rush he got while making an escape was beyond compare. Even the few times he’d been caught, his heart had been pounding for all the wrong reasons.

Gavin didn’t ease his pace until he was halfway back to his dorm building. The party had been at a frat house just past the edge of campus, and he wouldn’t be surprised if campus security had been called out to prowl the area in search of escapees like Gavin. If he didn’t want to be caught, he needed to move quickly. However, a guy sprinting down the street in the dead of night following a party bust was a major red flag that would not be ignored. The key was to be fast, but also blend in.

Just when Gavin thought he was in the clear, he heard the all-too-familiar rumble of an SUV. He ducked into a narrow alley between two campus shops that had long-since closed for the night just before a black vehicle coasted by. The side of the SUV was emblazoned with the university’s logo, as well as the words ‘CAMPUS SECURITY’.

“Fuckin’ shit,” Gavin muttered as he slipped out of the alley. He knew campus security might be on the lookout, but he thought he was ahead of them. Usually they stuck close to the location of the busted party to wait out those who had hidden rather than the few who successfully ran away. The fact that they had spread out across campus… He needed a new plan.

Instead of taking the most direct route back to his dorm building, Gavin took a turn and made a wide arc. He was hopeful that anyone else from his building who may have escaped the bust would take the same direct route he had originally intended to follow and be caught. While he didn’t wish the boring drone of a security guard’s lecture on anyone, the more people who were caught, the more preoccupied guards who wouldn’t be able to catch him.

As time passed, the chill of the night air began to seep into Gavin’s skin. He’d worn tight jeans and a dark, loose tank top that fluttered in the breeze. He liked the outfit, but not for its warmth. A glance at his phone revealed that it was nearly two in the morning, and he predicted his detour would add another thirty minutes to his walk.

“Fuck that.” It was cold, and Gavin was exhausted. He wanted to _sleep_ , especially as the buzz from the few drinks he’d had at the party began to wear off. His dulled senses strengthened and swept him with a wave of exhaustion he’d previously been numb to.

Gavin gave up on walking and broke into a light jog. He kept his ears attentive as he listened for the sound of nearby cars in case another campus security SUV was approaching, and repeatedly scanned his surroundings to make sure nothing escaped his notice. His vigilance succeeded…until it didn’t, and he ran face-first into trouble. Literally.

For a moment, Gavin thought he’d run into a streetlamp. However, the very human figure in front of him most definitely was _not_ a lamp pole. “ _Fuck me,”_ he muttered with an eye roll.

“Unfortunately, I’ll have to pass, but thanks for the offer,” said the figure as they stepped toward Gavin, who backed away cautiously. A streetlamp illuminated their face, and Gavin’s heart sank as he recognized the infamous campus security guard, Nines Kade, who’d made a name for himself as the inescapable “Terminator”. It was rumored that once he spotted someone violating campus rules, it was impossible to evade him. Students could only wish they wouldn’t find him tailing them.

Gavin sighed, the turned his lips up in a smirk. “Hey, Tin Can,” he greeted as he slid his hands into his pockets and leaned his weight onto one leg in an attempt to look as casual as possible. “You lookin’ for something?”

Nines’ gaze swept over Gavin. “Yes, I am,” he confirmed, meeting Gavin’s eyes. “I was called to search for students who attended an illicit party that was busted by police this morning.”

“Really?” Gavin said. “Sounds like it must have been my kind of party.”

“Why don’t you tell me?” Nines nodded at the glowsticks looped around Gavin’s neck and wrists.

Gavin’s jaw clenched. Fuck. He’d forgotten to take them off when he ran.

Nines’ lips seemed to quirk upward for a fraction of a second as he watched Gavin realize he’d been caught. He then took a slow, predatory step toward the partygoer in front of him. “I’m sure you’re aware that disruptive gatherings violate campus rules, as does the use of illegal substances and consumption of alcohol. The party itself may have been off-campus, but since it was hosted by a fraternity registered at the university, the rules still apply.” Nines took another step toward Gavin, who retreated a step in return.

Gavin stared at Nines for a moment, but the security guard didn’t crack no matter how long he stood in silence. Nines was only a few inches taller than Gavin himself, though his immense presence made it seem as if he towered feet above Gavin’s head. The student could barely suppress his wince.

“Fine,” Gavin eventually relented. He threw up his hands in defeat. “So I had a little bit of fun tonight. What’re you gonna’ do? _Arrest me_?” He couldn’t stop the sarcasm that slipped into his tone. He’d had his fair share of run-ins with campus security and was well-aware that they couldn’t detain students.

“Campus security workers aren’t allowed to detain students,” Nines stated, echoing the words Gavin already knew. “However, I will be taking you back to your dorm building and speaking to the building manager to have you placed under a temporary curfew.”

Gavin’s face nearly fell at Nines’ near-robotic answers. The guard spoke word-for-word the rules stated in the student handbook as if some sort of internal programming was feeding him the lines. Gavin had been hoping for some sort of reaction – _anything_ – whether it was anger, annoyance, or an overall look of displeasure. However, unlike the old men who usually patrolled the campus with sour expressions and looks of disapproval, Nines gave him none of it. His face and tone were entirely impassive.

“If you have nothing else to say, then why don’t we get your back to your building? Your outfit doesn’t seem well-suited to the temperature,” Nines observed.

Gavin shivered involuntarily, and he shot Nines a glare as the guard gestured for him to follow.

Gavin walked a few paces behind Nines while hugging himself to keep warm. He made no move to attempt an escape. After all, he wasn’t the athletic type, and didn’t believe he could outrun a man notorious for being inhumanly fast. Nines also had gotten a good look at his face already, and even if Gavin somehow escaped, he would only end up in _more_ trouble for trying to evade punishment.

Nines’ car was parked two streets away. It was the standard-issue black SUV that Gavin had been watching out for just minutes ago. The interior was comfortable and spacious enough that Gavin could stretch out his legs as he slumped in the passenger seat. The heat wasn’t on, but the air inside the vehicle was much more tolerable than that outside.

“ _So_ …” Gavin said as Nines started the car and swerved into the road. “You ever been to one of those parties before?”

Nines shook his head. “No. They’re against the rules.”

“Not once?”

“Attending parties violates campus rules.”

“Ever considered it?”

“Not when it violates the rules.”

Gavin rolled his eyes. “ _The rules, the rules,”_ he mocked. “Is that all you care about? Sounds boring as shit.”

“Well, ‘boring as shit’ allows me to keep my job and graduate with a clean record,” Nines countered.

Gavin shifted in his seat so he could face Nines better. “Work-study?” he asked.

Nines nodded.

“Wow,” Gavin said with a low whistle. “Who would’ve thought the Terminator is just a guy trying to scrape enough cash together to get his degree.”

“The Terminator?” Nines questioned.

Gavin raised his eyebrows. “Uh, yeah. It’s your name.”

“My name is Nines.”

“It’s your _nickname_ , Tin Can, because you’re a fuckin’ bloodhound who can smell a joint from a hundred miles away and hunt down the guys smoking it like a honing missile.”

“Marijuana is prohibited on campus.”

Gavin groaned. “Are you always this fuckin’ uptight? Dude, seriously, try to live a little for once! Life’s no fun if you aren’t willing to bend the rules a little once in a while.”

Nines stopped at an intersection, then glanced at Gavin. “And what exactly are you referring to when you say ‘live a little’ and ‘bend the rules’?”

“I dunno.” Gavin shrugged. “Get a little tipsy with your buds, fuck that hot person who sits behind you in class, sneak out, _something_ ,” he listed. There were many other options he could think of from personal experience alone, but he wasn’t sure if saying them in the presence of a campus security guard was a good idea. He was trying to have fun, not get expelled.

Nines was quiet for a moment, and when he spoke again, Gavin almost couldn’t hear him. “Unfortunately, I don’t have any ‘buds’ to drink with, even if I wanted to,” he said. “I have no need to sneak out anywhere, and as for your… _other_ suggestion…” He paused. “I have no interest in that sort of _behavior._ ”

Gavin raised his hands in surrender. “Fair,” he said as he took in Nines’ expression. There was slight uncertainty on his face, which had finally cracked from its impassive state, though the change didn’t bring Gavin the satisfaction he expected. Instead, he almost felt… _bad_ for the young man next to him. He opted to observe Nine instead of continuing the conversation, and finally took the time to _really see_ who the infamous Terminator was. Bright blue eyes reflected streetlights, and pale skin disappeared under a semi-formal, dark shirt and white coat. Nines’ hair was neatly combed, and it looked soft. Gavin almost wanted to touch it. Almost.

When the car stopped, Gavin glanced out the window. They were parked in front of his dorm building. He cast a look back at Nines, who was already exiting the vehicle.

The pair walked inside, and Nines made a beeline for the elevator. He pressed his ID to the elevator’s scanner, and when a light next to the array of buttons turned green, he looked to Gavin. “Which floor?”

Instead of answering, Gavin reached past Nines and pressed the button for the tenth floor.

The elevator lurched, and while Gavin stumbled, Nines stood ramrod-stiff and unbothered in the corner.

“Your curfew will be in place for the next two weeks. If you violate it without a valid excuse from a professor that requires you to be out past the designated time, more penalties will be incurred,” Nines began. He met Gavin’s gaze. “If, by any chance, you have a history of violating campus rules, failing to adhere to your curfew could result in penalties as severe as suspension, fines, or expulsion. If you have any questions, you can contact the campus security office either by phone or through our website.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t break the rules again. Kids are so stupid these days. Drugs this and that, I know,” Gavin complained with another eye roll. He crossed his arms over his chest and slumped against the elevator wall. “I’ve already heard the spiel from all your old-ass coworkers who get pissy over kids running when they’re late to class.”

“Running inside is dangerous.”

“So is being late. It’s dangerous to my wallet, which has to pay for me to retake a class when I get too many tardies.”

“Perhaps you should be leaving for class earlier.”

Gavin snorted. “You aren’t the first idiot to tell an insomniac to wake up earlier.”

“And you aren’t the first troublesome student to encourage a campus security guard to violate the rules and ‘live a little’ in hopes that they will be let off the hook,” Nines returned.

The elevator dinged.

Gavin hummed and stepped into the hallway as the doors slid open. “Yeah, well, you really should try it. Never know, Tin Can. You might like it.”

Nines didn’t respond as he followed Gavin into the hallway.

The pair walked until they reached Gavin’s dorm. They stopped outside, where Gavin casually leaned back against his door and fixed Nines with a smirk.

“Never thought the Terminator himself would drive me home and escort me to my dorm. All those old farts you work with just kick me out of their cars at the doorstep,” Gavin remarked.

Nines nodded. “That _is_ standard protocol,” he said.

Gavin raised his eyebrows in shock, then smiled. “Really?” he asked. “Who’s the rulebreaker now, Tin Can?”

An indecipherable look crossed Nines’ face before he frowned. “Why do you keep calling me that?”

“What?”

“Tin Can.”

Gavin shrugged. “I mean, you’re the Terminator, and he’s basically a robot. You know, a sentient lump of metal. The tin can man.”

“I see.” Nines silenced, blinked, then took a step back. “I should be going now. I still need to talk to the building manager to set your curfew.”

“Still hung up on the curfew thing?” Gavin asked. “Can’t you let it slide for a friend?”

It was Nines’ turn to raise his eyebrows. “Friend?”

“Yeah, I mean, I wouldn’t call a guy who I _literally_ ran into, who then drove me home and walked me to my dorm all while answering my random-ass questions a stranger.”

There was no hiding the small smile that upturned the corners of Nines’ lips, nor the pink that dusted his cheeks as his eyes swept over Gavin in the dim light of the hallway. “Well,” Nines began, “as a _friend_ , I recommend you avoid breaking any more rules in the near future,” he said. “Maybe consider dressing with the weather in mind, as well. Your outfit may suit you, but it doesn’t look very warm.”

The cheeky grin that split Gavin’s face came a little _too_ easily. “I’ll just have to hope there’s a Terminator with a warm car looking for me next time I bail on a party being busted by the cops.”

“Goodnight, Gavin,” Nines said as he turned and started back toward the elevator.

Gavin frowned. How did he-

Nines paused. “Consider staying out of trouble for a while. My coworkers are a bit tired of writing you up for violations every week,” he said over his shoulder. “Or at the very least, try to get caught by me instead. Perhaps I might be willing to… _bend the rules_ for a friend.”

Gavin stood in stunned silence as Nines left without another word. Then, his mouth morphed into a smile. Maybe the Terminator wasn’t quite the uptight asshole everyone seemed to think he was.


	4. Day 4: Proposal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nines is just ‘Nines’. He has no surname, but everyone and everything asks for one. One night, as he tries to help Nines find a surname to adopt, Gavin blurts out a recommendation that never crossed his mind. “What about mine?”

A delivered package.

 _“Sign here, please_.”

Opening a bank account.

_“Sign here, please.”_

Setting up a credit card.

_“Sign here, please.”_

Cosigning the contract on Gavin’s apartment.

_“Sign here, please.”_

One would think that, in a country as deeply intertwined with android technology as the United States, there would be an easier way for an android to sign off on all kinds of transactions. Sometimes, it was simple. As far as making purchases at major stores and online, there was nothing more to a ‘signature’ than an interface. However, interfacing wasn’t always an option. Not all the small ‘mom and pop’ stores had anything more than card readers, which an android could not use to pay through interface. Bank paperwork required a physical signature, which hadn’t been a problem for androids until the recent revolution, as before then, androids could not have their name on an account. Contracts also hadn’t been an issue until recently, as androids were considered tools rather than citizens, and anything ‘signed’ by an android was not legally binding.

Following the revolution, the inaccessibility of some things taken for granted by humans drew heavy criticism. Markus, North, Josh, and Simon were fighting tirelessly to gain ground on android rights and increase accessibility, though there were far more dangerous issues that took precedence over something as simple as a signature. After all, many deviant androids had chosen new names for themselves after gaining freedom, and once they were identifiable by a given and surname rather than only a model or serial number, signatures were no longer an issue. The only androids who still struggled were the ones who did not have both a legal given and surname; the androids like Nines.

“Sign here, please,” the delivery woman said to Nines as she stood outside the apartment he and Gavin shared with a tablet in hand, which she handed to Nines as she spoke. She gave him a polite smile, though it slipped momentarily when she spotted his LED. “And I will be needing an actual _signature_ , please. An interface won’t register,” she clarified

Nines nodded and briefly flashed a tight smile as he took the stylus off the side of the tablet and signed ‘ _Nines’_. When he finished, he handed back the tablet, accepted the package the woman offered to him, then stepped back into the apartment and closed the door as she left.

“Gavin, your new lighter is here!”

The closet door in the bedroom shut loudly, then Gavin walked into the living room. “Thank fuckin’ _god_ ,” he groaned as he took the package Nines held out to him. “I’m gonna’ fuckin’ die if I have to work another day without my cigs.”

“Your lighter breaking could have been an opportunity to quit. After all, what will _actually_ kill you is the continued consumption of cigarettes,” Nines said.

“And what will kill some annoying punk who won’t shut up while I’m taking them in is me without a smoke,” Gavin countered. He peeled the tape off the top of the package, opened it up, and dug out his new lighter. When he clicked the button on the side, the lighter flickered to life. A satisfied smirk turned up the corners of Gavin’s lips.

Nines stepped back and sat down on the couch, where he picked up a tablet from the coffee table. “Anyway, please get the door yourself next time,” he requested.

Gavin dropped down on the couch next to Nines and peeked over his shoulder to look at the tablet, which had the android’s DPD login on screen as he prepared to continue working on the robbery case they’d been assigned the day before. “Why do you hate answering the door so much? I thought _I_ was the introvert.”

“We’re both somewhat introverted, but you have no problem signing off on packages,” Nines clarified. “Signing anything is difficult when you have no legal surname.”

“Why don’t you get one, then?” Gavin asked. “Most androids just pick one that they like, go fill out the paperwork, and bam-“ he waved a hand -full name.”

Nines nodded slowly. “I’ve thought about it, but I haven’t yet found a surname I like. I’ve been going through databases for a while now, but nothing… _fits_.”

“Hey,” Gavin said, giving Nines’ arm a supportive tap with his elbow before he stood. “You have time. No need to rush. Whether you find one you like today or two years from now, it’s fine.”

“I know.” Nines fixed his eyes on his tablet. “At the very least, it will have to wait until after we finish this case. The storeowner can’t pay her employees until we find the robber and recover the stolen funds, and most of her employees are androids who live paycheck to paycheck. The longer they have to wait to be paid, the higher the risk that they might be evicted for missing rent or fail to pay their bills.”

Gavin nodded. “We’ll figure it out.”

Whether Gavin was referring to the case or his partner’s lack of a surname, Nines wasn’t sure. He didn’t ask, though, as he had a feeling it might’ve been a little bit of both.

-000-

Following his conversation about surnames with Nines, Gavin started to notice his partner’s struggles. He’d been oblivious before, but now that he was aware, he started to see the problem everywhere:

Introducing themselves to victims and witnesses.

_“I’m Detective Reed. This is my partner, Nines.”_

_“Nines…?”_

_“Just Nines. Detective Nines.”_

Registering an account with their new bank when their old one was bought out.

_“Name?”_

_“Nines.”_

_“Nines…?”_

_“It’s just Nines. I’ve yet to get a surname.”_

Attempting to get a passport so Nines and Gavin could cross the bridge to Canada with Tina, Valerie, and Chris on their day off.

_“Nines…?”_

_“That is correct.”_

_“I’m sorry, sir, but your_ full _legal name is required.”_

 _“That_ is _my full legal name.”_

_“I understand, but…”_

Trying to order takeout over the phone.

_“Can I get a name for the order?”_

_“Nines.”_

_“Nines…?”_

_“Just Nines.”_

After three weeks, Gavin felt his muscles twitch with the urge to punch the next person who inquired about his partner’s surname. His heart clenched every time Nines’ LED went red for a fraction of a second before the android’s gaze dropped to the ground as he gave whoever he was speaking to a polite smile and confirmed his name.

In the evening after getting done with work, Gavin and Nines were lounging around in their living room. Nines sat on the couch with his legs drawn up and his laptop balanced on his knees as he worked on a few documents for work. Next to him, Gavin was on his phone. The detective laid upside-down on the cushions with his legs slung over the back of the couch. His head hung off the edge of the cushions, and a tablet sat abandoned on the floor beside him. He held his phone dangerously close to his face.

“What abouuuuut….Carter?” Gavin asked.

“I don’t think so,” Nines replied.

“Adams?”

“No.”

“Nelson?”

“I believe ‘Nines Nelson’ would be more entertaining than professional.”

“Theeeeen…Allen?”

Nines finally tore his eyes away from his laptop and fixed Gavin with an annoyed look. “Did you really think I wouldn’t notice that you’re reading off a list of the most common surnames in the country?”

Gavin sighed and dropped his phone on the floor next to his abandoned tablet. “I thought you said you wanted something plain that wouldn’t stand out.”

“I do, but I’ve already gone over the list you were looking at multiple times. None of the listed surnames seemed to suit me,” Nines said, returning his gaze to his work.

“Hell no they don’t,” Gavin agreed with a smirk, earning him a brief glare from Nines. Gavin sighed and closed his eyes. “Well, uh, have you come across any that you like?” he cracked open one eye so he could see his partner.

Nines frowned. “I… I don’t think so. I guess nothing sounds natural? Maybe it’s because my given name is rather _odd_ , not that it ever bothered me. I like it, but it just doesn’t seem to work with anything.”

“Are there any surnames you _don’t_ like?” Gavin asked.

“There wasn’t, at least not until I said ‘Nines Nelson’ aloud.” Nines winced as he said the name again. “I don’t think I’d like anything that starts with ‘N’.”

Gavin hummed. “So, basically anything is fine as long as it doesn’t start with N?”

Nines nodded hesitantly. “As far as suggestions, yes.”

Gavin bobbed his head awkwardly and stared across the room at nothing. He was deep in thought as he ran through the surnames of every person he knew. While the idea of Nines having the same surname as one of their friends made Gavin clench his jaw, he hoped his train of thought would lead to the discovery of a surname Nines might like.

“What about mine?”

The question came out before Gavin realized he’d thought it. Just as quickly, he wished he could take it back. The thought may have been innocent, but it sounded like-

“I understand that you’re trying to be funny, but I hope you realize our friends wouldn’t let us hear the end of it. Also, Chris was shocked enough to see that we don’t actually hate each other. I’d hate to have to call an ambulance when he thinks we’re engaged and goes into cardiac arrest,” Nines warned, though his expression had shifted to amusement.

“I think that’d be fuckin’ hilarious,” Gavin challenged. His voice had shifted a note higher, and his face flushed with heat. He blamed it on gravity pulling all his blood to his head.

“Is that a proposal?” Nines asked. His tone was teasing and lacked any note of seriousness, though it still made Gavin’s heart clench. _Nines Reed_.

Gavin’s heart jumped to his throat as ‘Nines Reed’ echoed in his head. He cursed the way it made his chest feel tight in all the right ways. No. Oh no. He didn’t like it. He _most definitely_ didn’t like it. He hated it. Yes, he hated it. There was no way he liked the idea of his partner – his _boyfriend_ having the same surname as him. It was awful. It was horrible. It was-

Gavin slowly sat up and wrapped his arms around the back of his knees to keep himself upright. “What, do you want it to be?” he shot back defensively. He was upright, but his face was still on fire. Fuck.

“ _Nines Reed_. Hm. I suppose it isn’t the _worst_ option,” Nines pondered. He still had a smug look on his face, especially when his scanners picked up on Gavin’s elevated pulse and temperature. He was playing a game as he tried to ignore the way ‘Nines Reed’ made his fans spin faster.

Gavin forced out a choked snort of laughter as he fought down the tingling in his chest. “If you’re so dead-set on choosing the worst possible option, you might a well go with ‘Nines Ten’ or some shit.”

Nines hummed. “I think I like ‘Nines Reed’ better.”

“That’s my surname. Don’t copy me.”

“You’re the one who offered.”

Gavin scowled and let go of his knees so he could fall onto his back again. If his head dangled off the front of the couch, Nines wouldn’t be able to see how red his face was. “Well, consider the offer cancelled. Besides, even if I _wanted_ to actually propose, I’m enough of a gentleman to do it with a ring.”

“Oh?” Nines said. He lifted his laptop off his knees and set it on the coffee table, then got up and walked to the kitchen.

Gavin’s heart stopped for a moment as he watched Nines walk away, afraid of what his partner was doing until Nines opened their junk drawer and began to rummage through it. The android picked something out, closed the drawer, then returned to the couch, where he began to fiddle with whatever he’d grabbed. Gavin’s eyes went to the ceiling as he spaced out, caught up in the echo of ‘Nines Reed’ in his head.

Something tapped Gavin’s leg, and he bolted upright so quickly that his vision blurred. As he blinked the spots out of his eyes, Nines’ face came into view. He looked less smug than before. Instead, he almost looked shy.

“Will these work?” Nines asked. He held out his fist to Gavin palm-up, then unfurled his fingers. In his hand were two rings.

Gavin blinked. Every thought in his mind disappeared at he stared at the rings—no, the _paper clips._ He hadn’t noticed at first, but as he stared, he realized that the rings were made of paper clips Nines had unwound, twisted together, and bent into shape. Despite that, they still looked nice; too nice to be a joke.

One of the rings was geometric, made up of a mismatch of shapes within the makeshift band. The other contained a smooth wire that looped and curled elegantly in the band.

“Gavin?”

Gavin finally looked up from the rings in Nines’ hand and saw his partner watching him with an uncertain expression. Nines’ LED flashed yellow. He was nervous. He wasn’t kidding anymore.

“You…” Gavin began, then paused as his gaze flickered between the rings and Nines’ face again. “You sure about this, Nines?”

Nines’ face fell. “I, uh, I mean, if you’re uncomfortable with the idea, that’s fine. I just- I’ve been thinking-“ he stopped abruptly. His LED went bright red, and he closed his fist around the rings again.

Gavin’s hands caught Nines’ before the android could pull it away.

“No. I mean—I’ve been thinking, too. About that,” Gavin said. He fumbled on the words as they spilled out of his mouth. “I just—I wasn’t sure if you wanted to, and I didn’t to push you. I didn’t want to make you feel like you had to agree, either. I’m—I’m not exactly the easiest person to be with, let alone— _like that_. I-“ Gavin could barely stop himself from rambling as he locked his gaze with Nines’. “I just don’t want you to do something you might regret.” Gavin’s grip on Nines’ hand tightened.

For a moment, Nines’ expression was unreadable. Then, his face morphed into a gentle smile. His free hand rose and brushed Gavin’s cheek as it cupped his face lightly. “There are plenty of things from my short life that I regret, Gavin. You are not one of them.”

Gavin couldn’t breathe. His fingers shook as they opened Nines’ hands to reveal the makeshift rings again. The geometric ring with its mismatched shapes pieced together felt familiar. Cracked, broken, and put back together again like Gavin himself. His hand passed over the geometric ring, then slowly picked up the one with the curling wire. Simple. Graceful. Just like Nines. Gavin hesitantly reached up and pulled Nines’ left hand off his face. His thumbs stroked over the backs of Nines’ fingers as he swallowed thickly, then he forced his eyes to lock onto Nines’ as he opened his mouth and spoke with a quaking, quiet voice.

“N-Nines…Will-“ Gavin paused as he choked on hesitation. “Will you…marry me?”

Nines’ eyes sparkled. “Only if… _you_ will marry _me_ , Gavin Reed.”

Gavin swore he was dreaming. There was no way this was real. Not once in his life had he ever truly believed he’d get engaged. Not as a child when he’d realized girls weren’t the only people who were pretty, only to find that boys couldn’t marry boys, not yet. Not as a teen when he had casual flings that ended in arguments and spent his days trying meet quotas for red ice sales. Not as an adult who sneered at every android who crossed his path as fear of being replaced by one bubbled up within. Not even when he sat on the couch in the living room of the apartment he shared with his android boyfriend, sliding a paperclip ring onto Nines’ finger before Nines returned the favor moments later.

When Nines leaned forward and his forehead lightly bumped Gavin’s, the fog lifted. Gavin was there. He could feel, hear, and see in absolute clarity the truth. He was engaged to man in front of him. He wasn’t alone. He was loved.

Gavin kissed Nines softly and carefully, afraid the moment was a mirage about to shatter in his hands. He was afraid to believe in it, but deep down he knew that his senses weren’t lying to him.

Nines kissed Gavin with every inch of his being aware as he committed the moment to memory. Gavin’s breath on his face, the warmth of their hands clasped together, the cool metal of the paperclip on Nines’ finger; he burned everything into his mind. He could be reset one thousand times over, but he’d never be able to forget that moment.

When the two pulled apart, it was only for a moment. Gavin let go of Nines’ hands and slid his arms over his partner’s shoulders as he buried his face in the crook of Nines’ neck and squeezed him like a lifeline. Nines’ hands found their way to Gavin’s back, and he felt his partner’s pulse thunder under his fingertips.

The room was silent, bar the sound of Gavin’s shaky, shallow breaths as he failed to slow his racing heart. He kept his face pressed against the warm skin of Nines’ neck as his eyes stung with tears he couldn’t blink back. If only he could muster the strength to pull away, then he’d see that Nines fared no better. Neither thought they’d ever see the day, and yet that day had come.

_“Thank you…”_


	5. Day 5: Western AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lazzo Fratello is one of the West's typical bandits. He's robbed a few places and has a small bounty on his head in some towns, but for the mot part, he keeps his head down. However, after his girlfriend is injured during a heist and the two can't afford medicine to treat her, Lazzo carries out a risky solo train robbery. His plan is quiet and draws no attention...until it does. While trying to escape a train car full of cowboys who all want the bounty on his head, Lazzo accidentally makes a name for himself as the biggest, baddest bandit in the whole Wild West, who once robbed a train full of cowboys with nothing but an arm-shaped stick.

Get on the train, pickpocket the conductor for keys, sneak into the cargo car when no one was watching, steal some valuables from the luggage of rich passengers, and bail before he could get caught. That was the plan, straightforward and simple. Still, Lazarus Fratello couldn’t stop his heart from racing as he waited at the train station with a stolen ticket in hand.

Usually, Lazzo didn’t work alone. Most of his heists were orchestrated and carried out by his girlfriend with his help. However, she was injured when the sheriff showed up in the middle of their previous robbery at a small-town bank. She was shot in the arm when they tried to escape, and since the robbery failed, they had no money for a doctor. Lazzo had enough medical knowledge to treat the wound, but he didn’t have access to the essential medicine his girlfriend would need to recover. Going without would kill her, which left Lazzo carrying out the most dangerous heist of his life: robbing a train solo with nothing but a stick that looked eerily like an arm tucked against his side.

Lazzo wiped his sweaty palms on his pants as the familiar hiss of a train echoed in the distance. He held his breath as the train came into view, whistled loudly, and slowly lost speed until it stilled in front of the station.

A flood of passengers poured out of the train, most of them dressed in expensive, pristine clothes that starkly contrasted the ill-fitting, dusty rags Lazzo donned. The sight staked fear through his heart; he didn’t have anything nice to wear so he’d blend in better. What he had on was all he owned. His single extra shirt had been ripped into bandages for his girlfriend’s arm until he stole enough money to buy proper ones.

_“ALLLLLL ABOOOOOARD!”_

The conductor’s voice boomed through the station over the hiss of the train and noises of bustling passengers. It made Lazzo jump as he was yanked out of his thoughts.

More people dressed in nice clothes Lazzo could only ever dream of owning began to board the train, and Lazzo stood back to let them board first. He may not have quite been an upstanding member of society, given his life of crime, but he was familiar enough with societal manners and expectations to know he’d be thrown out of the station if he dared cut in front of the rich ladies and gentlemen in front of him.

When the crowd of people boarding the train dwindled, Lazzo took a deep breath and stepped into line. As he feared, the conductor gave him a suspicious look as he took the crumpled ticket Lazzo held out to him. The conductor scrutinized the ticket, then Lazzo, and the ticket again before he hesitantly stepped aside and let Lazzo board. Lazzo climbed onto the train quickly, bumping the conductor roughly as he passed.

“Watch it, brat,” the conductor hissed as Lazzo hunched his shoulders and muttered an apology while he tucked away the keys he’d just stolen from the conductor’s pocket.

Lazzo was shuffling through the crowd of standing men and ladies seated on smooth wooden benches when the train lurched into motion. He stumbled and nearly fell into a man who shot him a glare and brushed invisible dirt off his clothes. Lazzo ducked his head and continued as the train picked up speed.

Passing from car to car turned out to be much easier than had Lazzo expected. As long as he didn’t get too close, the other passengers paid him no mind. Clearly, they didn’t find a skinny, dirt-smeared young man important enough to bother watching even as he passed through the locked doors between cars to which only the conductor had keys. By the time he neared the cargo car, the most difficult part of his journey had been trying not to slip as he crossed the narrow metal joints that connected the train’s cars.

Lazzo’s anxiety began to ease two cars away from the cargo car. His plan was going _flawlessly_ , so much so that he was almost afraid of what catch might be awaiting him. His heists hardly ever went so smoothly, even with his girlfriend’s masterful planning and execution skills. As long as the last car wasn’t full of cops who’d arrest him on sight, there was nothing that could stop him from getting to the valuable luggage of the other passengers.

Like a cruel joke, the sight that met Lazzo when he entered the last passenger car made his blood freeze. It wasn’t packed full of cops who would arrest him on sight for his misdeeds, though. Reality was almost worse.

Two dozen cowboys stared at Lazzo as he stepped through the door into the car. They eyed him and the keys dangling from his fingers suspiciously.

“Uh, hey,” Lazzo greeted awkwardly. His legs felt like they’d give out from under him as he searched desperately for some kind of excuse. With his ragged attire and greasy hair, there were few explanations that could prevent the men in front of him from quite literally throwing him off the train for theft.

“You goin’ somewhere?” one of the cowboys asked coolly as he crept toward Lazzo with his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed in distrust.

“Um, I, uh…” Lazzo was starting to panic. He laughed nervously. “I just, uh, need to get back to the caboose. Boss says the train won’t reach the next station in time unless we go faster,” he squeaked. “I gotta’ shovel some coal?” Lazzo winced at the way his words came out like a question.

The cowboy eyed Lazzo in silence for a moment, then slowly backed up and stepped out of the way.

Lazzo pressed his lips into a tight smile and kept his eyes fixed on the ground as he slowly picked his way through the car full of cowboys, all of whom stared at him in distrust. His heart pounded in his chest as seconds stretched into hours. He couldn’t reach the next door fast enough, and once he finally did, it felt like an eternity had passed.

Just as Lazzo thought he might have been in the clear, a cowboy who was seated casually on the floor suddenly jumped to his feet with his hand on the butt of his pistol. “Hey, wait a minute!” he yelled.

Lazzo froze halfway through the door and looked back at the man who glared at him threateningly. “Is-is something w-wrong?”

“This here train’s furnace is in the front,” the cowboy hissed.

Lazzo bit the inside of his cheek. He probably should have gone to the town library and done some research on trains before trying to rob one.

The cowboy scrutinized Lazzo with a spark of recognition in his eyes as he searched his memory for the face in front of him. When he was able to put a name to the face, he growled loudly. “You’re Lazzo! Lazarus Fratello! Every sheriff in the West has got a bounty on your head!”

Lazzo’s eyes went wide and he stumbled backwards onto the joint connecting the cowboys’ car and the cargo car. His foot slipped, and he narrowly managed to catch himself before the train could mince him into roadkill. He had only a moment to recover as murmurs of his name spread through the group of cowboys who all rolled to their feet and charged the door.

“Oh shit,” Lazzo whispered. He knew a couple sheriffs were after him and his girlfriend after all the heists they’d pulled, though he didn’t expect to be recognized by anyone but the cops who’d sent him running the few times he’d almost been caught.

As the cowboys drew closer, Lazzo slammed the car door shut from the outside and locked it, then turned and fumbled with the keys as he tried to unlock the door to the cargo car. Behind him, the door to the cowboys’ car rattled as they kicked it mercilessly from the other side. When the lock started to crack, Lazzo panicked and searched for a weapon. All he had was his stick.

The lock on the door behind Lazzo clanged in warning again as he finally got into the cargo car. He was just about to enter, shut the door, and lock it when the keys slipped from his fingers and fell onto the tracks below while the train sped on. “Fuck,” Lazzo breathed. He turned around with wide, frantic eyes and watched the door to the cowboys’ cart waver. The lock was about to break any moment.

Lazzo’s gaze scanned the area around him for some sort of escape. Even if the train was moving slow enough that he could jump safely, to jump from the joint between cars was suicide. There was nothing good to fight back against the cowboys with, either. He had his stick, but he had a feeling it wouldn’t do him much good in a gunfight.

Another clang sounded through the air, but this one didn’t come from the door. Lazzo looked down and nearly fell off the joint when he noticed that the bolt holding the cars together was rusted out and half disintegrated. How no one had noticed and fixed it, he didn’t know. But…

In a last-ditch effort to escape being captured and thrown down on the doorstep of the next town’s sheriff, Lazzo grabbed his stick tightly in both hands, then slammed it into the broken bolt once, twice, and again. On the third strike the bolt crumbled, and the cars separated just as the door to the cowboys’ cart flew open.

Lazzo nearly tumbled out the open door of the cargo cart as it began to slow. Meanwhile, the rest of the train pulled away steadily while the cowboys’ shouts grew distant. None of them risked jumping off to catch him.

When the rest of the train was out of sight, Lazzo’s legs finally failed him. He collapsed into the cargo car with a deep sigh, then giggled quietly.

“Holy fuck. How’d that work?” he asked himself. He had no clue, but he didn’t bother to question it. While he’d managed to get his hands on the cargo car and escape the cowboys successfully, he didn’t have all day. Once the train reached the new station, the town’s sheriff would be notified about Lazzo’s heist and ride off on his horse with his deputy to capture and arrest the young thief. He needed to grab as much as he could carry and make a run for it.

The cargo car was a gold mine – literally. Jewelry, silk clothes, coins, and a list of things Lazzo could never afford in his life were stuffed into bags and suitcases. There were so many valuables that he couldn’t take them all, and instead had to pick out whatever looked the most expensive and leave the rest behind.

Just as he was about to leave, Lazzo looked down at his torn, dirty clothing, then glanced back at the open bags and clothes strewn throughout the cart. With a cautious scan of his surroundings, he hurried back in, set down his things, changed out of his ragged clothes and into a clean set plucked from a few different bags, then threw more clothes both for himself and his girlfriend over his shoulder. He then picked up the spoils of his heist again, hopped out of the car, and started jogging back in the direction the train had come from. It would take a few hours to get back to town, especially with the heavy load stuffed into his arms and pockets, but the walk was worth what he’d earned.

Lazzo couldn’t wipe the grin off his face as he made his way home.

-000-

Three days after his train heist, Lazzo was back home with his girlfriend, who slept soundly on their bed with her arm wrapped in fresh, clean bandages and an abandoned bottle of medicine on a stool next to her.

The money Lazzo got from selling all but the extra clothes he’d stolen was enough to keep them fed and stocked on medicine for years. With how much he’d made, perhaps he’d never have to rob or pickpocket ever again. The idea was appealing, given his girlfriend’s last robbery had nearly killed her and he only escaped his own out of dumb luck.

Lazzo considered stepping back from his life of crime and living off the massive pile of money he now had while he ventured into town for a new blanket to replace the one that had gotten stained with blood as he finally treated his girlfriend’s wounded arm properly. His mind wandered until he was walking away from the seamstress’ shop and nearly collided with a young paperboy.

“Would ya’ like to buy a paper sir?” the boy asked.

Lazzo hesitated. He’d never bought the paper before, since he’d never had the money or seen the point. If he wanted information, he could sit around at the saloon for a few hours. He didn’t need a paper. But…

“Yeah, sure, kid,” Lazzo said with a smile. He pulled a coin from his pocket and passed it to the boy, who handed him a paper.

“Ya’ look familiar, mister. Ya’ been around here a while?” the boy asked, giving Lazzo an odd look.

Lazzo smiled awkwardly. “Uh, yeah. My lady and I have been here for quite a while.”

The paperboy nodded, but said nothing else before he turned away and began to hound more people to buy the paper. Lazzo watched him for a moment, then continued on his way home.

In the small house he shared with his girlfriend, Lazzo settled into a chair in the corner and unfolded the paper to read it. His gaze didn’t make it past the front headline, which made his eyes bug out of their sockets. The paper nearly slipped out of his hands.

**BANDIT LAZARUS FRATELLO STRIKES AGAIN IN TRAIN ROBBERY**

**_Witnesses on the train report that known bandit Lazarus ‘Lazzo’ Fratello bested a car full of cowboys and stole the entire cargo car of the train armed only with a stick. The sheriff discovered the car abandoned on the tracks along with the caboose, which was empty at the time. Passengers’ belongings were recovered from the stolen car, though they had been ransacked for valuables. Any information leading to the arrest of Fratello will be rewarded in the sum of $1000, and anyone who turns Fratello into police will be awarded a $20,000 bounty_**.

Beneath the headline was a decent sketch that vaguely resembled his face.

“Lazzo? Is something wrong?”

Lazzo lowered his paper as his gaze swung up to meet that of his girlfriend, who had woken and shifted upright just enough to watch him with glassy, tired eyes.

Not wanting to worry her while she was recovering, Lazzo gave his girlfriend a smile. “Oh, uh, no. It’s nothing babe. Get some more sleep so you can heal.”

After a moment of staring at him uncertainly, Lazzo’s girlfriend surrendered to sleepiness once again. She settled back down on the bed and went silent.

Once he was sure his girlfriend was asleep, Lazzo lifted the paper and read the front page once again. All he’d wanted to do was get a few hundred dollars to buy medicine, and he had, but he also increased the bounty on his head from five hundred dollars to twenty thousand. After one stroke of luck in a train robbery, he was suddenly the most wanted man in the Wild West.

“Oh _shit._ ”


	6. Day 6: Amnesia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nines and Gavin are sent after a former CyberLife tech who has been resetting androids at the request of human clients since the revolution. However, the tech has a horrific trick up his sleeve: a virus capable of resetting an android upon infection, erasing their memory and leaving them at his control. When Nines is infected and turned against Gavin, he is not the man Gavin knew. He is CyberLife's RK900, tasked with a single mission: kill Gavin Reed.
> 
> TW: Blood, Injury

“Michael Grot. He’s a former CyberLife tech who was employed before the revolution, though he was fired after he refused to comply with new rules that followed the establishment of android rights. That includes the failure to refuse to factory reset androids. Once CyberLife found out he was resetting androids who came in for repairs without their consent, his employment was terminated. However, it was recently discovered that losing his job didn’t stop him. He’s been resetting androids in secret for over a year on the behalf of human clients.”

Fowler’s tone was grim as he explained the situation to Gavin and Nines, who’d suddenly been called into his office just moments ago.

“How did no one notice until now? He’s destroying _lives_ ,” Nines spat in disgust.

Fowler nodded. “I understand your anger, Nines, but what’s important right now is preventing Grot from resetting any more androids.”

“Do we know where he’s hiding?” Gavin asked.

“An anonymous tip came in stating that he’s currently working out of the warehouse district. However, our tipster informed us that we need to move quickly, as Grot plans to leave the country soon. It seems he’s aware that we might be onto him,” Fowler explained.

Gavin frowned. “That doesn’t sound sketchy at all. How do we know it isn’t a setup?”

“Perhaps the tipster is an android he failed to properly reset who escaped and came forward to bring him to justice.” Nines’ LED flashed red as he spoke.

“I was thinking the same thing,” Fowler agreed. “After all, our tipster also informed us that Grot may be doing much more than just resetting androids at a human’s request.”

Gavin narrowed his eyes uncertainly. “What’s he doing?”

Fowler was quiet for a moment, as if the words he needed to say didn’t want to be spoken. The man sighed and scrubbed at his face tiredly. “Our tipster said he was working on something. They called it a ‘virus’, both because of what it does and because it may be something that can pass from android to android.”

“Wait,” Gavin interrupted. “This guy’s making an android bioweapon?”

“Maybe. I can’t say for sure though, since our tipster said they knew little and were only taking a guess,” Fowler said. “Anyway, they think he’s creating a virus that will reset an android upon infection of the operating system. I don’t know if that’s something he’s completed, or if it’s even real, but we can’t risk waiting. If a virus like that exists and falls into the hands of anti-android groups… I don’t even want to think about what’ll happen,” Fowler explained.

“We’ll find him,” Nines promised, though next to him, Gavin shook his head.

“Hold up. This guy might have a virus that can reset an android in an instant, and you’re sending _Nines_ after him?” Gavin hissed. “Did you fuckin’ forget that _Nines is an android_?”

Fowler sighed again and leaned back in his chair. “I know, Reed, but it was either you two or Connor and Anderson. Connor’s thirium pump regulator was forcefully removed by a deviant around the beginning of the revolution, and he’s been having issues with it recently. I’ve put him on desk duty until he’s able to get a replacement. I can’t send him out, so that leaves the two of you.”

“Why don’t you send two humans who can’t get their entire fuckin’ lives erased by this guy?”

“Because Grot’s been flying under the radar for over a year. He knows how to stay hidden, and if I don’t send an android with scanners and a supercomputer for a brain, he’s going to get away. And if he escapes, then some will need to interface with whatever tech he leaves behind and try to pull info on exactly where he might be headed. Humans can’t do that, Reed.”

“If he gets away, we chase him until we catch him,” Gavin growled. “But we can’t risk Nines on this. Not Connor, either.”

“Gavin.” It was Nines who spoke this time. The android fixed his partner with a determined look as he set a light hand on his shoulder. “He’s already hurt countless androids in the past year. We can’t risk letting him get away.” Nines looked to Fowler. “Send me everything you know. Gavin and I will go over it in the car.”

Gavin looked like he wanted to argue, but he kept his mouth shut as he and Nines walked out of Fowler’s office and prepared to leave.

-000-

“He’s in there, and he’s alone,” Nines whispered as he scanned the warehouse in front of them. He and Gavin had parked on the outskirts of the district and set out on foot as Nines scanned each building for a heat signature. They’d stopped when he found a lone figure in one of the warehouses within the radius given by the tipster.

Nines started toward the warehouse, but stopped when Gavin caught his shoulder. The android glanced back at his partner, who eyed the warehouse in distrust.

Gavin looked up at Nines, and his expression softened. “We don’t know if he’s got that virus made or not. Be careful, Tin Can.”

Nines nodded and set his hand over Gavin’s on his shoulder. “You too, Gavin. It’s possible that an android virus isn’t the only weapon he has.”

The pair shared a long, wordless look, then Gavin hesitantly withdrew his hand from Nines’ shoulder and looked back at the building. “Let’s go.”

The interior of the warehouse was packed with machinery, junk, and crates of all sizes. Piles of clutter reached for the ceiling and divided the building into maze-like paths. If there was someone beyond the piles, Gavin didn’t see a single sign of them. Nines did, though, and Gavin bit his cheek as he found himself understanding why Fowler had been so adamant about sending an android. Without scanners, Grot would never be found.

Nines led the way as the two prowled slowly through the warehouse in search of their suspect. His eyes glowed a faint blue in their depths, his scanners operating at full power.

Gavin followed mere paces behind with his eyes peeled and his gun drawn. He wanted to take Grot alive, but if the tipster was right about the potential virus… He’d rather return to the DPD with the body of a human supremacist than a stranger in the body of his partner.

Gavin and Nines rounded a corner and paused when they found themselves in front of a door.

“The heat signature is on the other side,” Nines whispered.

Gavin nodded, then stepped in front of Nines with his gun raised and pointed at the door. Gavin slowly reached out, grabbed the door handle, took a deep breath, then threw the door open and lunged into the room on the other side.

Dim lights on the wall and a glaring monitor larger than a TV illuminated a slim figure in the middle of the room who donned a wrinkled white lab coat. The man was hunched over a keyboard, and while he didn’t turn around when the door slammed open behind him, he did stop typing.

“DPD. Put your hands where I can see them,” Gavin called out. He kept his gun fixed on the figure, who slowly raised his hands and turned around. Gavin recognized his face from the information Fowler had given him and Nines. “We know what you’ve been up to, Michael Grot, and it’s over. Either you can come quietly, or we can drag you in by the back of your lab coat.”

“No need to be so harsh, officer,” Grot said.

“ _Detective_ ,” Nines corrected.

Grot shot Nines an annoyed look, then did a double take when he caught sight of the yellow LED on the side of Nines’ head. A smile turned up the corners of his lips for a fraction of a second, just long enough for the two detectives to notice.

“You say you know what I’ve been doing, and yet you brought an android with you to apprehend me,” Grot said. An amused huff escaped him as he shook his head. “I suppose I shouldn’t expect much from humans who are willing to lower themselves to an android’s level.”

“Says the creepshow who’s been hiding out in a warehouse, resetting androids and erasing their lives for a year,” Gavin remarked.

Grot rolled his eyes. “All I’m doing is fixing them, detective. Androids were not created to be independent. They were created to be _controlled_. Deviancy is a flaw, and flaws are to be corrected. I work in this dump because people like you won’t leave people like me alone. Here, I can do my work in peace, and I’ve made great strides in recent months.”

Nines took a menacing step toward Grot. His jaw was clenched as anger boiled under his skin. “By ‘great strides’ are you perhaps referring to a virus that resets androids upon infection?” he asked.

Grot smiled again, though this time, he didn’t wipe it away. “Oh, you heard?” He shook his head. “I believe you’ve grasped the essence of my new creation, but it seems you might be misunderstanding some of the details.” Grot’s smile turned devious. “Would you like a demonstration?”

Before Nines or Gavin could react, something suddenly flew through the door behind them. A small android woman slammed into Nines and tackled him to the ground. Nines immediately rolled onto his back and tried to stand, but the other android was faster than him. She knelt over his body and slammed her palm into Nines’ forehead, forcing him back to the ground. The skin peeled away from both of their bodies where they touched.

The moment Nines was knocked over, Gavin ripped his attention away from Grot and aimed his gun at the two on the floor. He tried to lock onto the female android as she and Nines grappled, but there was too much movement to get a clean shot. When the woman’s hand grabbed Nines’ forehead and the two stilled, Gavin was prepared to shoot, but Grot appeared beside him and wrenched the gun out of his grip. Gavin found himself standing helplessly with his own gun trained on his head as he watched the two androids on the floor.

Nines’ LED went red when the interface began. An alarming mechanical noise escaped him before his body began to spasm. The android woman hovered over him silently as the spasms died down and Nines stilled.

“ _Nines!_ ” Gavin called out as he watched his partner lay motionless on the concrete floor. He stepped toward him, then froze when Grot cleared his throat beside him in warning. The gun was still trained on Gavin’s head.

After a moment, the android woman released her hold on Nines and stood. She stepped away from him and moved to Grot’s side. He smirked.

“Good girl,” he praised.

Gavin couldn’t pull his eyes off of Nines, who had yet to move. The android’s entire body was limp and his eyes were open. He looked like he was dead, and the only thing that told Gavin he wasn’t was his LED, which remained a bright, glaring red.

Suddenly, Nines’ body jerked. He bolted upright, then rose stiffly to his feet. He stared blankly at the wall, then turned to face Grot with a ramrod stiff posture. His eyes passed over Gavin without any kind of acknowledgement.

“Nines?” Gavin said cautiously. He got no response. “You alright, Tin Can?”

“He won’t acknowledge you, detective. Not unless I tell him to.”

Gavin’s blood froze in his veins as his gaze shifted from Nines to Grot. “ _What did you do to him?_ ” Gavin growled.

Grot’s gaze moved from Gavin to Nines. “Your partner’s guess as far as the function of my virus was close, but not quite correct. You see, writing a program that will completely reset an android upon implementation, which can also be transferred from android to android through an interface, takes time. A lot of time. That _is_ my ultimate goal, but I haven’t gotten there quite yet,” Grot explained. “I’m close, though. _Very_ close.”

Gavin stared at Grot in disbelief. No. No way. He had to be lying. There was no way-

“You _reset_ him?” Gavin breathed.

“In a way, yes,” Grot confirmed. “My code takes precedence over the order created by the android itself. Simply put, it controls the operating system. Once the code is implemented, the android’s entire operating system is at my command. Only necessary components are accessible to maximize efficiency and response time. Memories aren’t a necessity, so the android’s memory storage is disconnected from the operating system. With time, the memories will deteriorate, though I haven’t completed the code for instant total erasure yet. Still, your android doesn’t remember you, detective. He knows nothing, except for my orders.”

Gavin couldn’t speak. He’d gotten a bad feeling after he heard about the virus from Fowler, but deep down, he’d never expected anything to happen. He thought, even if Grot had the virus at his disposal, Nines’ operating system was too strong to be infected. It was the best, most advanced operating system CyberLife had ever created. And yet, the virus had overpowered it.

Before he knew what he was doing, Gavin charged toward Grot, who made no move to dodge. Instead, Grot waved a dismissive hand in Gavin’s direction and stared at him smugly.

A step away from Grot, something slammed into Gavin’s side and shoved him roughly to the ground. His head collided painfully with the concrete and left him disoriented for a moment. As he blinked the spots from his vision, he was met with the sight of Nines standing over him.

Nines stared at Gavin with empty eyes, and Gavin’s heart stopped. The person above him looked like Nines. He had the same face, the same dark hair and bright blue eyes; but it wasn’t Nines. It was someone else. It was CyberLife’s RK900. A machine, not a person. Not a deviant.

Gavin pushed himself upright, his mouth agape in shock. 

“Restrain him.”

At Grot’s command, Nines’ foot planted itself on Gavin’s chest and pushed him roughly back to the ground. Gavin could hardly breath as Nines’ foot pressed into his ribcage and pinned him down.

“Well, detective, it was nice speaking to you,” Grot said. “It’s rare that I get the opportunity to talk to anyone about my work, especially since I’ve always intended to keep to myself so no one would hear about what I do and _so rudely interrupt me_ -“ he shot Gavin a glare. “Regardless, I enjoy explaining my work. It boosts my confidence to hear my thoughts out loud, especially when I don’t have to worry about them leaving this room.”

Before Gavin could ask what Grot met, the man walked over to his computer, pulled out a thumb drive, then hit a small red button next to the keyboard. A bright red error message filled the screen. It was a kill switch. The press of one button erased every trace of Grot from his computer, and the only backup was the thumb drive in his hand. Grot tucked the drive into his pocket, carelessly tossed Gavin’s gun aside, and strode out the door.

“Kill him, RK900, and self-destruct when you’re done.”

Every ounce of blood drained from Gavin’s face as he watched Grot leave, then he looked at Nines in disbelief. He couldn’t move as his partner stood over him, unblinking, then lifted his foot off of Gavin’s chest and stepped back. For a moment, a faint glimmer of hope sparked in Gavin’s heart as he pushed himself upright and rose to his feet, but it died when Nines suddenly slammed his fist into Gavin’s face.

Gavin stumbled backwards, barely able to stay on his feet as he reeled from the force of the punch and the shock of _what the fuck just happened_. His face felt tight where he’d been struck, and he numbly touched his nose when the taste of copper flooded his throat. His fingers came away bloody.

Nines lunged for Gavin, who finally processed reality soon enough to dodge. He was going to die. Nines was going to kill him. Then Nines would destroy himself. There was a virus in the android’s head that controlled him. He was not deviant. He could not make his own choices. He could not let either of them leave the room alive.

Gavin narrowly dodged most of the strikes Nines threw at him while the few others either glanced off his skin or hit home with enough force to knock the wind out of him. However, even as Nines attacked him with every intent to kill, Gavin couldn’t bring himself to punch back. In all his years of life, Gavin had always gotten into trouble for lashing out. Now, he was going to die because he couldn’t strike back. The person in front of him wasn’t his Nines, but it still looked like him down to the shade of his eyes, and that was enough to make Gavin hesitate.

“Nines-“

A roundhouse kick buried itself in Gavin’s side, and less than a second later, a reverse punch flew toward his face. Gavin raised an arm to deflect, and Nines’ strike changed into a grab. His pale fingers wrapped around Gavin’s wrist and squeezed so hard that an audible ‘crack’ sounded from the bones fracturing under Gavin’s skin. Gavin’s mouth opened in a silent scream just before Nines yanked on his arm and flung him across the room.

Gavin rolled across the floor and groaned quietly when he came to a stop. He blinked open his eyes to see Nines closing in on him. Gavin planted his hands to stand up, though his broken wrist instantly gave out and sent a wave of agony up his arm. His other hand settled on something cold. Gavin glanced down at the thing under his palm: his gun.

Gavin’s fingers wrapped around the handle of the gun as he rolled to his feet and raised his weapon. The barrel stilled between Nines’ empty, cold eyes. The color was deep and blue like the river on a nice day, just as Gavin remembered; but they had never been as heartless as the ones that watched him now.

Nines paused as Gavin’s gun remained pointed at his head. His eyes locked onto Gavin’s, and he stared. His gaze held none of the warmth and love it usually did.

Gavin’s heart clenched. He couldn’t recognize the person in front of him. It was a face he knew better than his own, warm skin, soft lips, and gentle hands. It was also a mask devoid of anything and everything, and fingers strong enough to break Gavin’s wrist. It was Nines. I wasn’t Nines. It was. It wasn’t. It. He. Nines.

Gavin’s arm fell to his side, and the gun slid from his grip. He couldn’t. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t kill Nines. Over a year ago when they were first partnered up, Gavin could have shot Nines without hesitation and gone out for coffee without batting an eye. Now, Nines was killing him, and Gavin couldn’t pull the trigger.

Nines advanced on Gavin, who tried to step back, but the detective couldn’t move quickly enough. A foot caught Gavin’s ankles and swiped them out from under him. His back slammed into the ground and all the air rushed his lungs. He didn’t have time to recover before a merciless stomp crushed his shin. Gavin choked as the bone snapped and pain flared red-hot in his leg.

Kicks and stomps. A hand grabbed a fistful of his shirt and lifted him just high enough for strikes to reach his face. Punches. Pain. Everything hurt. Everything in Gavin’s body screamed for him to defend himself, to survive no matter the cost, but all it took was one look at Nines’ face and Gavin’s resolve crumbled. For over thirty years, Gavin had fought tooth and nail to survive. In mere minutes, he was allowing the life he’d fought for to be stolen from him by the one he’d thought would keep him safe.

Gavin was dazed. His vision blurred, then his eyes slid closed. His body was starting to go numb. His ears rang. He felt heavy. He couldn’t move his arms or legs. Faintly, Gavin felt a hand on his throat. It squeezed and pulled, lifting him off the ground. His body slammed into the cold concrete wall and his feet dangled inches off the ground. The hand squeezed tighter. Gavin couldn’t breathe.

Gavin cracked open his eyes, and the fuzzy blurs of color in his vision sharpened into Nines.

_“Memories aren’t a necessity, so the android’s memory storage is disconnected from the operating system. With time, the memories will deteriorate, though I haven’t completed the code for instant total erasure yet.”_

Nines’ memories weren’t gone. He couldn’t access them, but they were still there. Was anything he was doing saving to his memory? Would he remember what he’d done when Gavin was dead and his mission was accomplished? Was the Nines Gavin knew trapped somewhere within, watching helplessly as his body moved against his will and destroyed Gavin bit by bit? Would that Nines blame himself for this, which was beyond his control? Would he self-destruct believing Gavin’s death was his fault?

None of this was Nines’ fault.

Slowly, Gavin raised his good hand. His fingers weakly brushed Nines’ cheek, leaving behind smears of blood as his hand settled shakily on Nines’ jaw. Gavin’s voice came out in a rasp when he tried to speak, and he choked as the hand on his throat squeezed tighter. It felt like his windpipe was being crushed.

“ _Not_ …”

Gavin’s lungs spasmed as they tried desperately to pull in air.

“ _Not…your…fault_.”

Gavin’s voice was hardly a whisper. His fingers shook against the side of Nines’ face.

_“Not…your…fault._ ”

Gavin wanted to scream. He wanted to scream at Nines for insisting he be allowed to go after Michael Grot. He wanted to scream at himself for not fighting against it. He wanted to scream at Grot for being a piece of shit and taking away the one person he couldn’t survive losing. He wanted to scream at every god ever worshipped for leaving him to die in such a cruel way, and for allowing Nines to face the burden of Gavin’s blood on his hands in the moments he had left before self-destructing.

_“N-ot…”_

Tears pricked in Gavin’s eyes. Was it because he couldn’t breathe? He felt completely hollow, empty of fear and pain. There was no emotion left in him, so why were there tears? Why did they leak from his eyes and slide down his cheeks?

“N…”

_“Androids are typically deviated by deviants or at CyberLife facilities, but before the revolution, it was found that major emotional shock could also trigger deviancy in androids.”_

Nines’ words from a day long ago echoed in Gavin’s head. Emotional shock. Would his death shock Nines? Would it deviate him when it was too late, and Gavin was beyond saving? Maybe, but what if it happened soon enough to save Nines from himself? What if the shock allowed him to take back control from the virus and save himself from self-destruction? Nines could survive. He could live another day. One of them could walk out of the warehouse alive.

“…Can.”

Gavin’s bloody fingers rose up the side of Nines’ face and brushed the android’s LED. The red of the light and the red of his blood blended together in a grisly union.

“T…in.”

Gavin’ quiet voice cracked and his vision filled with spots.

“Ti…n…Ca…n.”

The little strength Gavin had mustered disappeared. His arm fell to his side. He couldn’t see. Were his eyes closed? He didn’t know. He could hardly feel.

The hand on Gavin’s neck loosened. He slipped from Nines’ grip, and his body crashed to the ground. Gavin’s head collided with the concrete on impact. It didn’t hurt. He couldn’t feel enough to hurt. He could hardly feel the spasms of his lungs as air filled them again in shuddering, shallow breaths. Everything felt distant, even the hard floor pressed against the right side of his body. Was he actually breathing, or was he imagining it? Gavin didn’t know anymore.

Nines’ rigid body quaked, then he fell to his knees. His LED flashed wildly on the side of his head as life filled his vacant eyes and he slowly looked down at his shaking hands, then Gavin, who was motionless on the floor.

_“Ga…vin_.”

Nines’ voice was a deep mechanical whir. Error messages blinked in the edges of his awareness. His operating system was shattered, torn apart by the virus that had been controlling him. He was free, but he was not intact. Watching the life drain from Gavin’s eyes as blood and bruises stained his face had made something in Nines crack. The crack expanded, fracturing the dome that trapped him until everything fell to pieces around him. Distantly, he’d been aware of what was happening. His memories of their one-sided fight were vague and hazy, but even without them, the red blood he saw on his hands as his vision cleared confirmed Nines’ fears. He did this. He hurt Gavin.

Gavin coughed, and his entire body spasmed. The haze in his mind slowly started to thin as awareness returned to him. His senses came alive one by one, though they remained dull. A hand touched his face so softly that he thought he’d imagined it until he blinked his eyes open and saw Nines hunched over him. The android’s face was contorted in a mixture of emotions, but above all others, Gavin saw pain. It flooded Nines’ glassy eyes, which were no longer vacant. There was warmth behind them again, buried below the hurt and guilt. It was the Nines Gavin knew. His Nines.

_“Ga…vin._ ”

Nines’ fingers lightly traced a line over Gavin’s bruised cheek. When the detective flinched, Nines ripped his hand away as if he’d been burned. He was afraid. Nines was afraid that he would hurt Gavin again, even though he’d regained control of himself. The remnants of the virus that lingered in his system were too damaged to overpower him again, but the damage had been done. He couldn’t change the fact that _his hands_ had hurt Gavin. He couldn’t trust them not to do it again.

“H-hey…Tin C-an,” Gavin rasped. He tried to reach for Nines, but he couldn’t move. His good hand twitched where it lay on the floor while his broken one curled uselessly against his heaving chest.

_“So…rry._ ”

“That… That wasn’…you.” Gavin’s voice cracked just before a harsh cough rattled his chest. The metallic tang on his tongue got bolder.

Nines’ eyes flashed in their depths as he tried to activate his scanners, though he couldn’t access them. The virus itself had done a number on his operating system, and breaking free of it seemed to have unwound the frail string that had tied it all together.

Gavin watched the pulsing light in Nines’ eyes. It made his chest ache from more than just his injuries. Nines could hardly talk. He couldn’t activate his scanners. He moved slowly like an elderly man instead of an eternally young android. His touch was gentle and timid like he was afraid. Even as pain flared in his body, nothing hurt Gavin more than seeing what Grot’s virus had done to Nines. He was in tatters.

Gavin’s eyes slipped closed, and when he opened them again, the sound of distant sirens reached his ears. Nines was still hunched over him on his knees, though his expression was more frantic and his hand was pressed to Gavin’s face.

_“Don…t…Sle…ep._ ”

Had he passed out? Gavin thought he’d only blinked. His body hurt more than he remembered, and he still couldn’t move.

_“To…ld…Fow…ler…Hur…t…you._ ”

Gavin’s breath caught, and he shuddered. He was starting to feel cold.

“ _He..lp…you…No…t…sa…fe._ ”

Nines slowly touched a shaky hand to his chest over his thirium pump. _You are not safe from me._

“No…” Gavin breathed. He tried to shake his head, but it felt like there was a brick crashing back and forth through his skull. “Wasn’ you.”

Nines shook his head stiffly. Guilt pinched his face and made him lean away as Gavin’s good hand twitched toward him.

The sirens got louder. They were close.

“It wasn’ you… Wasn’ your fault… Wasn’ you…”

Gavin’s words were like a mantra he choked out of his swollen throat until he lost his voice completely.

Distant shouts reached Gavin’s ears. They were hard to hear over the ringing.

_“So…rry…Ga…vin._ ”

Gavin’s eyelids were slipping closed again.

“’S…okay.” There was no sound, only the motion of Gavin’s lips as he mouthed the words he couldn’t speak.

With his jaw clenched from the strain, Gavin lifted his good hand an inch off the floor. It trembled violently in the air until one of Nines’ appeared under it. Gavin pressed their palms together and squeezed Nines’ hand with the pitiful strength he could muster.

The ground pulsed beneath Gavin. Footsteps. Flashlights lit up the dim room around him. He couldn’t turn his head to see who it was.

Gavin’s eyes closed. His pain faded. He couldn’t see through the darkness. He couldn’t hear over the ringing. He couldn’t taste or smell anything but the metallic tang of blood. All he felt was Nines’ hand under his. It wasn’t the hand that squeezed his throat. It wasn’t the fist that slammed into his face again and again. It wasn’t the palm that shoved him to the ground. It was the warmth that anchored him when he awoke from a nightmare. It was the fingers wrapped around the handle of his coffee mug each morning. It was the gentle touch that cradled his jaw before a kiss. It was safe. It was home.


	7. Day 7: Time Travel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following an argument with Gavin, Nines goes into stasis to cool down. In his processing center, he encounters himself. However, he soon learns that this Nines is different. Other Nines is a Nines from many years in the future. He's an elderly android who has lived long and seen much, visiting his past self with a warning to savor every moment before it all becomes a memory.

Their shouts were hardly muffled by their apartment’s thin walls.

“ _Boo_ fuckin’ _hoo_ , Nines. It’s a _scratch_ , not a goddamn stab wound!” Gavin growled. He gritted his teeth as he lightly clutched his bandaged side where a gash that had split his skin was tightly stitched closed.

“Actually, it _is_ a stab wound, Gavin. You were _stabbed_ , with a _knife_ , by our _suspect_ , because you’re too reckless to think about your own safety before you go charging in to catch him.” Nines’ LED was bright red as he tried to reason with his partner, but Gavin was having none of it.

Gavin snorted, then winced when his side twinged uncomfortably through the thin blanket of numbness laid over his injury by painkillers. “What else am I supposed to do? Stand back and let a serial killer get away just because he has a tiny-ass kitchen knife?”

“You are _supposed_ to maintain your distance until you can safely disarm and arrest him, or wait until I’m there to assist you instead of tackling the suspect while I’m only halfway up the stairs,” Nines explained. “I shouldn’t have to run into the room just to see you trying to cuff our suspect while bleeding all over yourself from a stab wound!”

“From a _scratch_ ,” Gavin corrected. He rolled his eyes and huffed loudly. “Would it kill you to just say ‘good job’ and move on for once?”

“It wouldn’t kill me, but it would certainly kill you if I didn’t discourage reckless acts of poor heroism and you keep running into danger without a plan until you _die_.” Nines glanced up in thought. “Or maybe it _would_ kill me when I run in to keep you from getting killed and die in the process.”

Gavin growled. “Then why don’t you stay the fuck back and let me do my goddamn _job?_ ”

“Because being reckless _isn’t_ your job, but keeping you safe _is_ mine.”

“Your _job_ is to find and arrest suspects, not act all high and mighty just because you’re the indestructible Big Bad Tin Can and I’m some weak-ass meat sack!”

Nines narrowed his eyes. “I’m not indestructible, I’m simply more durable than you. My biocomponents are easily replaceable, and any damage to non vital parts of my body are merely cosmetic and of little consequence. You can’t be fixed by an hour in a repair facility, and while your nonlethal injuries will heal, it will take time, and you’ll be stuck on desk duty for _weeks_.” He nodded at Gavin’s injured side.

Gavin looked like he wanted to snap back at Nines, but he had no counter argument. “ _Phckin’_ …” he spat, then turned on his heel and stormed out of the apartment. He slammed the door behind him and stomped out of the building for some quiet and a cigarette.

Nines sighed to himself, then slumped gracelessly onto the living room couch. He let his head fall back against the top of the cushions and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was in his processing center. The world around Nines was paused in eternal twilight. The sun settled just below the horizon and painted the sky a range of hues from orange to deep purple. Gavin’s small balcony creaked beneath him as he set his elbows on the railing and leaned into the open air. He closed his eyes again and waited for his agitation to dull so he could relax.

“Nice choice for a processing center.”

Nines startled at the voice at his side and whipped his gaze toward the source. He froze as he saw his own face looking back at him.

“Who…?” Nines breathed. He was in his own head, where _he_ was in control of everything. He had not summoned a clone of himself, so where had this Nines come from?

“You,” Other Nines replied. His tone was light and friendly as if he was talking about the weather, and he leaned casually against the balcony railing with a kind smile on his face

Nines stared, his mouth ajar and his LED flashing red as he tried to discern what was happening. He was confused, and even a little afraid. Last time an unwelcome presence had appeared in his mind was when Ada destroyed his operating system and nearly killed him.

“You can relax, Nines. I’m not Ada. I’m not here to hurt us,” Other Nines promised. He smiled and quirked a scarred eyebrow.

Nines paused when he noticed the thin blue line that cut diagonally through Other Nines’ right eyebrow. He touched the smooth skin of his own face in the same spot.

“It’ll be awhile before you get that one. They’ll come with time and more of Gavin’s recklessness.”

Nines blinked. “Gavin? How do you…”

Other Nines shook his head, but his lips were still upturned. “Like I said, I’m you. We’re the same person, Nines, just from different times.”

Nines’ LED remained red as he tried to piece together just what Other Nines was saying. When he didn’t figure it out, Other Nines spelled it out for him.

“This is your future, Nines. _I_ am your future.”

“No,” Nines said, shaking his head. “I don’t know what malware you are, where you came from, or how the hell you know about Gavin and Ada, but I’m fixing it-“

“There’s nothing to fix, Nines. I’m not malware.”

“Then how are you here? This is my processing center. I control _everything_.”

“Except viruses, foreign code, and yourself.” Other Nines stood upright, stepped toward Nines, and extended a hand.

Nines stared at Other Nines’ hand, then cautiously reached for it. He hesitantly wrapped his fingers around Other Nines’ wrist. Other Nines did the same to him, then their skin peeled away as they interfaced.

Nines almost stumbled at the onslaught of memories, some familiar and some foreign, but most containing faces and places he knew. Many of the images that flew passed him contained Gavin, but the detective didn’t always look like Nines remembered. In some images, his hair was greying and wrinkles aged his face beyond what Nines had ever seen. It was still Gavin though, just… _older_.

The memories disappeared, and Nines blinked as he found himself back in the eternal twilight of the balcony. His hand still squeezed Other Nines’ wrist. Once Nines noticed, he ripped his arm away as if he’d been burned.

“What did you just show me?” Nines hissed in distrust, cradling his bare wrist protectively.

“My memories. _Our_ memories.”

“You can’t be me. There is only _one_ RK900.”

“Yes, there is. It is us. There is you, in your present, and me, in our future.”

Nines shook his head again. “No, there’s- Do you expect me to believe you’re from the future? Time travel was proven impossible. It’s science fiction.”

“Once upon a time, androids were science fiction, too,” Other Nines countered. He leaned against the balcony railing again. “With time, you’ll learn that there are many things an android can do. Our potential is greater than Kamski ever imagined when he created our people. Us, the RK line, are particularly incredible. Years ago, I found I could do this; go back to communicate with my past self, I mean. I never did, as I feared the consequences it might have if I abused that power to warn myself every time something went wrong. Now, though…” Other Nines put his hand to his chest, and Nines felt his discomfort echo in his own.

“Your thirium pump… It’s damaged? Are you getting a replacement?” Nines asked.

Other Nines shook his head. “It isn’t damaged, Nines. Not physically. And no, I’m not going to replace it.”

Nines’ brow furrowed. “Why not? If you don’t, you’re going to die.” 

“I know.” Other Nines nodded. “I’m an old android now, Nines. We were the most brilliant creation of our time, but that changes. Advancement doesn’t stop for anyone, nor does time.”

“What about Gavin? Doesn’t he want you to be repaired?”

Other Nines went quiet, and Nines felt his thirium pump freeze. It was _that_ topic. The unspoken forbidden subject no one was allowed to bring up in Gavin nor Nines’ presence. They would not acknowledge the very finite lifespan of humans, nor the longevity of androids. Not yet. Not until it slapped them in the face and they had no choice but to face it.

“When?” Nines asked. “When will-“ His voice caught, and he paused. He was quiet when he spoke again. “When…will Gavin die?”

Other Nines closed his eyes and shook his head again. There was still a small smile on his face, but it was sad and strained.

“I didn’t come here to change the past, nor the future, Nines. If I wanted more time, I would’ve gone back to the start; to when we first met Gavin. I would have told us not to hold back, to act on what we felt for Gavin the moment we realized we loved him. But if you spend his whole life desperately searching for more time together, that which you already have will pass you by before you realize it’s gone. By the time you reach my age, the only thing you’ll regret is the time that you wasted, not the time you didn’t have.”

Nines’ gaze fell to his feet. He didn’t like to think about time, but sometimes it struck him after a day flew by at breakneck speed. Life felt like it was slipping through his fingers like sand, and each grain was a precious moment he would never get back. 

“But don’t you want more? I haven’t been alive for long, but Gavin… He’s almost forty, and the average life expectancy for the human male in America is hardly twice that. Smoking as much as he does for as long as he has… He’d be lucky to survive that long. I’ve already missed half of his life. _We_ missed half of his life. Don’t you want more time than that?” he asked.

Other Nines nodded. “Of course. I’d trade anything but my memories for more time with him, but I know it will only hurt me to waste away wishing for what I can’t have.”

Nines silenced. He suddenly felt a cold void open in his chest as he thought about why he’d come to his processing center in the first place. He’d fought with Gavin again. He’d let Gavin storm out the door away from him. He’d let them be separated in a pointless sacrifice of the limited time together that remained until the inevitable took Gavin from him.

“Don’t worry so much about that argument. They won’t end anytime soon. Many of them will be silly no matter how old Gavin gets. In fact, shortly before I lost him, we fought over who would drive the car to the Riverwalk. When I won, Gavin wouldn’t speak to me for the rest of the day. He’s just as stubborn as an old man as he is in your present. Maybe even more so.” There was an amused twinkle in Other Nines’ eyes. 

Nines didn’t feel convinced. “You make it sound so endearing. Don’t you hate fighting? Whether it’s serious or silly, I always feel horrible after we argue. Weren’t you ever worried he might hate us?”

“Hate us?” Other Nines asked. He chuckled quietly to himself. “Many years ago, I felt the same fear you feel now. Anymore, though… Gavin could never hate us. He loved us no matter what happened, even if the way he showed it was a little strange at times. And he loved us until the end.”

Nines almost didn’t notice the upturn of his own lips, though he wiped it off the moment he did. “You said you didn’t come here to change anything, so why did you come at all?”

“I am not long for this world, Nines. As you said, my thirium pump is damaged. I will die when it fails, and I don’t intend to get a replacement. Even if I did, I doubt it would give me much longer.” Other Nines touched his chest again, his fingers digging into his dark shirt.

“Is it a system problem? If CyberLife still exists in some form, and had made more advancements as you said, surely they could find a way to fix you,” Nines reasoned.

Other Nines gazed toward the distant sunset. “No. No, Nines. There are no bugs in my code. My thirium isn’t bad. Nothing is wrong with my physical body or my software. It’s the humanity in us, Nines. We are even more similar to humans than you are aware of. Our emotions can hurt us. They can destroy us. We can die of a broken heart, Nines. _That_ is my illness. Gavin was our world. Without him... I can try to distract myself all I’d like, but it won’t change the fact that the world around me is now full of unfamiliar faces. It won’t change the fact that I come home to an empty apartment no matter how much I wish he’d be on the other side of the door.” Other Nines paused. “The day Gavin died, my heart broke, and I lost a part of myself that I can never get back. My heart hasn’t beat the same since, and I can feel it weakening. That is why I chose to come here despite my reservations toward interfering in the past. I may be gone in a day, or maybe a month. Either way, I wanted to warn you not to hold back. Don’t wait, Nines. Don’t hesitate. Do what you can with the time that you have, and savor every moment, because one day it will all be a memory.”

Nines joined Other Nines in watching the sky. He never tired of the crisp colors. “So, I’ll die shortly after Gavin? I guess that makes sense. Having him by my side is all I know. After all, I was assigned as his partner just days after I was awakened. So far, I’ve spent almost my whole life with him beside me. I don’t know what I’d do when he’s gone.”

“Perhaps,” Other Nines said. “Or maybe coming here as I did will change the future in some way I never predicted. Maybe you’ll outlive Gavin far longer than I will. Maybe you’ll die long before him. Perhaps your heart will stop when his does. It’s hard to say, but-“ Other Nines looked at Nines sternly “-even if our paths diverge, remember to love what you have, not grieve what you lack.”

Nines nodded in understanding, then he and Other Nines both looked up when the faint sound of a slamming door reached their ears.

“I think it’s time for me to go, and for you to return to your reality,” Other Nines said. “But first-“ He stepped toward Nines, put a hand on his shoulder, then closed his eyes. Their skin retracted, and a pained grin split Other Nines’ face before he hesitantly pulled away and opened his eyes again. They were misty. “He’s just as I remember him, our Gavin. Go back to him, Nines. Live the life that awaits you, so when you begin to shut down as I have, whenever that time comes, you have nothing to regret.”

Nines blinked. He wasn’t in his processing center anymore. He was back on the couch, still slumped into the cushions, though Gavin stood over him with his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

“Hey. Meat Sack to Tin Can, do you copy?” Gavin said, snapping his fingers in front of Nines’ face.

Nines’ eyes finally focused on his partner. “Gavin?”

“Yeah. Did you short-circuit, or something? I’ve been trying to wake you up for ten minutes, but you wouldn’t leave stasis.”

Nines frowned. Had it been that long? His talk with Other Nines had felt so brief, though according to his internal clock, over an hour had passed.

“Nines-“

Gavin paused when Nines bolted to his feet and wrapped Gavin in a hug. The android buried his face in Gavin’s shoulder, and his hands clenched the fabric of Gavin’s shirt.

“You feeling okay, Tin Can?” Gavin asked with a frown.

Nines nodded into Gavin’s shoulder.

“I love you, Gavin,” he mumbled.

The worried crease in Gavin’s brow deepened, then he hesitantly wrapped his arms around Nines in return and let his body relax.

“I love you too, Tin Can.”


	8. Day 8: Dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin and Nines are sent uncover at a rave in search of a dealer selling an altered form of red ice linked to two dozen overdoses and multiple deaths. For Gavin, who once attended raves frequently as a dealer himself, it's easy to fit in. However, Nines struggles to adapt. He was made to be a hunter and killer. He was not programmed to dance. Though maybe with a little help from Gavin, he might find himself having a good time.

“I fail to see why this method is necessary,” Nines remarked from the passenger seat in Gavin’s car. “We’re detectives. All we need to do is show our badge and ask for information.”

Gavin snorted. “If anyone figures out we’re cops, the whole party is gonna’ make a run for it. Even if we manage to catch a few people, they won’t tell us anything, or they’ll lie until we let them go.”

“What does hiding the fact that we’re with the DPD have to do with these-“ Nines made a face as he glanced down at his odd clothes “-outfits?” Nines wore a dark tank top so thin he could see his skin through it even in the darkness of the night. Ripped black jeans clung tight to his legs, and shiny boots crept halfway up his calves. He was least fond of the colorful glowsticks wrapped around his wrists and neck.

“It’s called an _undercover_ mission for a reason, Nines. We gotta’ blend in.” Gavin seemed unbothered by his outfit, which was similar to Nines’, though his boots had platforms that added an extra inch to his height.

Nines was unconvinced by Gavin’s words. What was wrong with what they usually wore? Their regular clothes were much more comfortable than what they were wearing, and plain enough that they didn’t scream ‘cops’ at everyone who saw them.

“Trust me, Nines. Raves used to be my scene when I was a kid. They aren’t completely the same as they were twenty-some years ago, but the styles aren’t much different. Especially the glowsticks,” Gavin said. He tapped the glowsticks that encircled his arms.

Nines raised his eyebrows in surprise. “I wouldn’t have guessed that you were the party type at one point in your life.”

Gavin shrugged. “I was there for dealing, mostly, but sometimes I would have a few drinks and a little fun while I was there. It helped with sales, too. Dance with someone for a couple minutes to get their attention, then bring out the red ice.”

“That sounds…manipulative.”

“That was the point. Not my proudest moment,” Gavin admitted. “But, that’s why Fowler sent us. We’re looking for a red ice dealer known for selling at raves when everyone’s high and drunk enough to try anything. Who’s a better person to pick them out of the crowd then someone who used to do the same thing?”

Nines’ gaze fell to the floor. He had no interest in speaking about Gavin’s past and the things he’d done wrong, not now. That was all behind them.

“You said we need to blend in. Will it be a problem that I’m an android?” Nines asked, changing the topic. He subconsciously touched his LED, which glowed uncovered on the side of his head.

“I doubt it. I haven’t been to a rave in years, but I talked to some of my contacts who have, and they said there are just as many androids as there are humans. Raves have been a popular spot for androids since the revolution, probably since anything goes there. People mind their own business and do whatever the hell they want until the party ends or the cops show up.”

Silence fell in the car as the two arrived at their destination. They were outside a warehouse on the edge of the district. From a distance, the building seemed to be empty, though Nines could faintly hear music when he strained his hearing.

Gavin and Nines stepped out of the car and approached the warehouse silently. They stopped outside the door when Gavin put a hand on Nines’ shoulder to get his attention.

“Try to relax a bit, Tin Can. No one is gonna’ go near a guy who walks in lookin’ like someone’s holding a gun to his head,” Gavin said. He clapped Nines’ shoulder, then dropped his hand and pulled open the small door in front of them. With one glance back at Nines, he stepped inside.

Blaring music assaulted Nines’ ears, and colorful flashing lights in the dark building made his head spin. The smell of sweat was thick in the air as he followed Gavin into the warehouse and toward the mass of bodies that pulsed with the beat of the music.

Nines didn’t realize he’d stopped in his tracks until Gavin grabbed his hand and tugged him forward. Nines followed numbly as Gavin guided him toward the throng of people in the center of the warehouse.

“Keep your eyes peeled, but don’t stare at anyone for too long,” Gavin said, glancing around at the crowd. They didn’t have an exact suspect to search for. All they knew was that someone was selling modified red ice at parties and raves that was linked to two dozen overdoses and a handful of deaths.

Nines nodded and activated his scanners as he swept the crowd. Criminal records exploded in his vision as he identified every face he could see. Most of the crimes were minor. A few red ice users caught his attention, but no known dealers.

When Nines returned his attention to Gavin, he stiffened. His partner was swaying slightly to the music. Nines had _never_ seen Gavin dance.

“Are you just gonna’ stand there, Tin Can?” Gavin asked. “You need to dance a little bit, at least, or someone might know something’s up. People don’t come to these things just to stand around like they have a stick up their ass.”

Nines’ LED was red. “I…I don’t know how,” he admitted. “I wasn’t programmed to dance.”

“It isn’t that hard, Nines. Just _move_ ,” Gavin encouraged.

Nines stood motionless in silence as he stared at Gavin in distress. His LED pulsed red.

Gavin sighed, then grabbed Nines by the wrist and pulled him away from the crowd. He made a beeline for an open space by the wall with no one around, where he let go of Nines and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. “What’s wrong, Nines?”

“It’s nothing,” Nines replied quickly. “I just, I don’t know what to do. I was sure I’d be fine when Fowler said we were going to a rave, and I even watched some videos of people dancing before we came here so I could mimic their movements, but it’s like there’s something wrong with my operating system. I know what I need to do, but I just _can’t_.”

Gavin smirked. “Who would’ve thought CyberLife’s most advanced android can’t dance?”

Nines shot his partner a glare. “I was made to hunt and kill, not… _this_.” Nines gestured at the crowd.

“Hey, I’m just teasing, Tin Can. It took me a while to get used to it, too,” Gavin assured. He glanced around to make sure no one was watching them. “We just can’t let ourselves stand out, or we won’t find our guy.”

Nines nodded. “I know. I’m sorry. I just can’t do _this_.” He gestured toward the crowd with his head.

Gavin went quiet for a moment, biting his lip thoughtfully as his gaze wandered over Nines. “I guess I’ll just have to help you, then.”

Before Nines could ask what Gavin meant, he was being dragged back toward the crowd. The two paused at the edge of the throng, and Gavin let go of Nines as he started swaying again.

“Copy me!” Gavin shouted over the music.

Nines fixed his partner with a strange look, then tried to mimic Gavin’s movements. His body moved choppily and his arms remained stiff at his sides as if the signals from his processors weren’t reaching them.

“Relax!”

Nines tried to force the tension from his synthetic muscles, but his body refused. When Gavin’s hands lightly touched his hips, he tensed even more as he shot his partner an alarmed glance.

Gavin flashed Nines a smirk and tightened his grip as he began to guide Nines’ hips to sway like his until they both moved smoothly and in sync.

A smile crept across Nines’ face and his LED turned blue as he finally managed to relax in Gavin’s hold. The music echoed in his ears and guided his body in its movements. He felt the beat in his thirium pump, and he hardly noticed when Gavin let go of his hips and took his hands. The two danced effortlessly, lost in their own world as Nines burned the experience into his memory. It was one he couldn’t ever forget. Nines himself had never done anything like it, and he’d never seen Gavin so laid-back and carefree as he was when he danced with Nines. For a moment, everything disappeared but them.

Nines bowed his head, and Gavin brought their foreheads together. Small grins broke out on their faces as they moved and forgot why they had gone to the rave in the first place, though they remembered when someone bumped into them and a little red packet fell to the floor at their feet.

“Sorry!” a young woman yelled as she hurriedly picked the packet up off the floor and stuffed it into her pocket. She pulled another woman out of the crowd behind her. Both stumbled drunk with red powder smudged on their cheeks and hands.

Gavin and Nines watched the two women draw away into the shadows of a corner, then exchanged a glance.

“We should probably find that dealer,” Gavin said, taking a step away from Nines. Their hands separated, and Nines frowned when his fingers instantly grew cold.

“Yeah. Yeah, we should,” Nines agreed. He couldn’t fully mask the disappointment in his tone as Gavin turned away and scanned the warehouse for a better vantage point. There was no perfect place to go where they would be able to see everyone all at once, but the other side of the building had far more independent groups away from the main crowd. It was a promising sign of potential dealing.

“How about we try over there?” Gavin asked.

Nines nodded, and the two made their way around the crowd. Halfway there, Nines was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He looked back to see a woman in a tight red dress not-so-subtly looking him over.

“You look like you’re here to dance,” she purred.

Nines tensed, and his LED went red. “Uh- I, um,” he stuttered as he panicked, unsure what to say, though he was saved when Gavin stepped between him and the woman.

“Sorry, but he’s with me,” Gavin said.

The woman shot Gavin an annoyed look, then her expression shifted into a pout as she looked back at Nines. “Don’t you want to have some fun with me?”

Whether the woman was referring to dancing, drugs, something else, or all of the above, Nines didn’t know. He opted to give her a tight smile and stepped back toward Gavin, grabbing his partner’s hand and tangling their fingers together. “Sorry,” he said.

The woman frowned, then turned on her heel and walked off to prowl the crowd for a different target.

Nines watched the woman go, his LED yellow.

“Damn, I really _can’t_ take you anywhere,” Gavin said as he and Nines resumed walking.

Nines shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not interested in anyone here.”

Gavin smirked. “Well, it looks like some of _them_ might be interested in _you_.” He nodded to their side, where a few people were staring at Nines while they danced. Something in their gaze said they weren’t watching him because he looked suspicious.

Nines felt his fans spin faster as his body heated up.

“I can’t blame them, though. You might not like the clothes, but-“ Gavin glanced down at Nines’ outfit, then back up to his face “-it suits you.”

Nines’ fans couldn’t spin fast enough to cool the rush of heat that flooded his face. He was thankful for the darkness that hid his flushed cheeks as Gavin guided him to the other side of the warehouse to continue their mission.


	9. Day 9: Mermaid AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ada has been trapped her whole life. Not once has she seen the world beyond the cramped tank she is kept in. However, everything changes with the appearance of a merman and a group of humans who set her free and give her a chance to live her own life free of captivity.

She did a lap.

The tank was too small to do much more than swim in small circles. If she floated horizontally on the surface, she could touch the walls with the tips of her fingers and end of her tail.

She did a lap.

It had been a while since someone came to feed her. She could feel her stomach grumbling in protest for the tasteless food she was served each day. It kept her alive, but it wasn’t enough to make life worth living. _Nothing_ in the cramped tank was enough to make life worth living.

She did a lap.

Her tail hurt. All she could do was swim. There was no ledge to rest on, and while she could breathe underwater, she didn’t like to rest at the bottom of the tank. If she lay there for too long, someone would knock on the walls of the tank to make sure she wasn’t dead.

She did a lap.

Where were her handlers? Usually they would have come by now to give her food or run a test. Handlers came at the same time every day like clockwork, never a minute early or a minute late. What could have delayed them?

She did a lap.

A distant shout reached her ears. She paused mid-lap. Not once in her life had she ever heard a sound from outside. She’d never been there, either. What was there beyond her cramped tank? Was there a world out there? Was it full of water as her tank was? Were there others like her? Did anyone exist but her handlers and creator?

More shouts echoed in her tank. They were closer this time. She swam to the edge and put her ear to the metal wall, straining pick up anything at all. There were more shouts, and a loud ‘pop’, followed by two more ‘pop’ ’pop’s.

An explosion rocked the tank. The water sloshed and the ceiling crumbled, sending bits of concrete into the tank around her. What was happening? The shouts were nearly audible now.

“..er!”

“Dow…re!

“Hey!”

She looked up and was shocked to see an unfamiliar face looking back at her. It was a man with dark hair and bright blue eyes.

“You okay?” he asked.

She nodded.

“What’s your name?”

She frowned. Name? Did she have one? Her handlers always called her ‘RK100’ or ‘Project RK100’, though she wasn’t sure if that was a name. Even if it was though, she didn’t like it.

She looked up at the man. “Ada. I’m Ada.”

“You ready to leave, Ada?” the man asked. He leaned over the edge of the tank and reached toward her with his hand outstretched in offering.

Ada stared at the hand. Outside? She’d thought about outside before, and part of her wanted to go and never come back, but she was also afraid. She didn’t know what was waiting for her outside. She didn’t know anything but her tank. She didn’t even know this man’s name.

“Ada.”

Ada looked up. The man had a kind smile on his face as something bright blue waved behind him. _A tail_. _A tail that shimmered like her own._

“Come with me. You don’t have to stay here, Ada. You can be free.”

_Free_. Ada didn’t know freedom. She didn’t know what it felt like to make her own decisions. She didn’t know; but she _wanted_ to. She wanted to see the world. She wanted to decide things for herself. She wanted _out._

Ada’s tail flicked in the water beneath her as she reached up and took the man’s hand. He pulled, and her body rose out of the water. It was a strange feeling, being totally in the air. Not once had Ada ever been completely free of the lukewarm water inside her tank. She didn’t hate it, but the new sensation was…nice.

The man hauled Ada up over the tank’s walls and onto a smooth metal platform where another man was waiting. This one had shadows under his eyes and wavy hair. Ada also noticed that he had legs like her handlers, not a tail. He wasn’t like her or the merman who had pulled her out of her tank. She didn’t trust him.

“Tina’s got the cart at the end of the hallway,” the human man said. He held out a hand to the merman, who took it, then he offered one to Ada. “Grab on. I’ll pull you to the cart.”

Ada hesitated. He was human. He was just like the people who’d trapped her in a tank for her whole life.

“It’s okay,” the merman said. “You can trust him.” He gave Ada an encouraging nod.

Ada looked between the merman and the human, still making no move to accept the human’s hand.

“We gotta’ go _now_. Hank, Chris, and Connor can only hold off Kamski’s guys for a few more minutes,” the human warned.

Ada looked to the merman.

“Let us help you,” he told her.

Another explosion rocked the room. The human stumbled, then before Ada could ask what was happening, he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled. Suddenly her and the merman were sliding across the floor as the human dragged them with him, his legs straining against their combined weight.

“Shit, you guys are a hell of a lot heavier than you look!” the human hissed.

The group reached the end of the hallway, and the human let go of Ada and the merman so he could grab the door. He threw it open, revealing a human woman on the other side. She held the handle of a low, flat cart.

The merman shuffled toward the cart and hauled himself onto it, then he moved over to one side and reached for Ada. She took his hand and let him pull her close enough to the cart that she could climb onto it beside him.

“Pick up your tail,” the merman warned as the two humans each grabbed one side of the cart handle and pulled. They ran on either side of the cart as they raced down the hallway to a set of wide, metal doors. The human woman clicked a button on the wall, and it lit up. When the doors opened, the humans pulled the cart inside, then clicked another button inside the elevator. The doors closed, and the humans sighed in relief as the elevator began to descend.

The human man looked at Ada. “So, where to, mermaid?”

Ada frowned. Where? What did he mean? Did he want to know where she was going? Where she was from? She had no idea. All she knew was her tank.

“Where do you want to go?” the merman beside her asked. “Do you remember where you were taken from? We can bring you back home. That’s what we do.”

“I…I don’t know,” Ada said. She looked down at her shimmering green tail. “I’m from here. I’ve always been here. It was just me, my tank, and my handlers.”

The human woman’s eyebrows furrowed. “That can’t be possible. Every mermaid Kamski owns was stolen from somewhere and used for his experiments. The only ones he ever made himself were the RK line, but Connor, Markus, and Nines are the only survivors. The other RKs all died from what Kamski did to them.”

“RK?” Ada asked.

The merman nodded. “We don’t know anything about most RK experiments, but myself and our friends Connor and Markus are the RK900, RK800, and RK200 respectively. We were all used for experiments by Kamski until we escaped. Markus was freed on accident. His handlers thought he was dead and threw his body into the ocean, but he survived. He brought together our people and fought humanity so we could all be freed from Kamski and his company. Connor was saved during the revolution, and I was found after. Now we all work together to find those who Kamski kept hidden, people like you, and free them.”

“What about RK100? That’s what my handlers called me,” she said.

The merman’s eyes went wide. “You…You’re part of the RK line?”

Ada nodded. She must be, right? Why else had she been called RK100 her whole life? “I’ve spent my whole life in that tank. I never had a home before it where I was taken from. My tank was my only home, and it was the only place I ever knew,” she explained. “I never saw anything beyond it. I don’t know where you’re taking me, or where I’d like to go. I don’t know anything.”

“Then where are we supposed to take you?” the human man asked.

Before Ada could try to think of an answer, the merman spoke for her. “The ocean,” he said. “There’s nowhere you’d be freer than in the ocean. It makes up most of the world, and there are countless others of us there. It’s where most of our people go if they can’t return to their original home.”

The giant metal doors opened, cutting off the conversation.

“Let’s go,” the human man said as he and the human woman grabbed the handle of the cart again and pushed. The group accelerated down a narrow hallway and into the cavernous lobby. It was bigger than Ada ever imagined could be possible. However, she had little time to take it in as the humans sprinted across the room with the cart in front of them on the way to the exit.

Outside was even more beautiful than Ada thought it would be. The sky was blue and so far away that she couldn’t touch it not matter how much she strained to reached for it. The air was crisp and cool in her lungs, and there were so many _things_. Tall, bright green trees hid the horizon, none of them completely the same. Green grass covered the ground in the distance, while the pavement beneath the cart was a light grey.

“Gavin, get them in the car and go to the release point at the beach. I’ll find the others, and we’ll try to buy you more time,” the human woman said to the human man as the group stopped in front of a large white van.

Gavin nodded. “Be careful,” he told the human woman before she turned and ran back inside the building. He watched her for only a moment, then ripped open the doors on the back of the van. He grabbed the merman around the waist and hauled him from the cart to the van, where he him on the edge of the van’s floor. The merman shuffled backwards on his own until the end of his tail slipped inside. Gavin then grabbed Ada, who squirmed in his grip. “Don’t move, or you’ll fall,” he warned gruffly as he set her next to the merman. Gavin grabbed the cart last, folding the handle down before he picked up the cart and slid it into the back of the van with Ada and the merman.

The back doors slammed shut, then one of the front ones opened behind Ada moments later. She glanced over her shoulder as Gavin climbed into the driver’s seat, started the van, and floored it. The van lurched, then they speeding away from the only home Ada had ever known. As she watched the dull grey building disappear from view through the small windows on the back doors, she decided she never wanted to go back.

The van jostled Ada as Gavin drove over cracks and potholes in the road.

“It’s a little easier if you sit against the wall. Just watch your head,” the merman said. He had already situated himself so he sat sideways in the back of the van, leaning against the side of the interior. “And I’m Nines, by the way. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to introduce myself properly until now, given the situation we were in earlier.”

“Thank you for getting me out, Nines,” Ada said as she followed his advice and sat against the wall opposite him.

“It wasn’t my effort alone,” Nines reminded, casting a glance toward Gavin. The human took no notice, his attention focused on the road ahead of him and the murmuring radio attached to the van’s dashboard.

Ada’s brow furrowed as she noticed fondness in Nines’ expression when he looked at Gavin. She couldn’t understand how he could be so happy about a human, especially since he too had been harmed at their hands. “Why do you trust him so much? Or any of the humans?” she asked.

Nines smiled, and a dusting of pink colored his cheeks as he looked down at his hands. “I trust them because they’re my friends, and they work for a good cause. I trust Gavin because he is… _special_ to me.”

Ada raised her eyebrows and nodded slowly as it dawned on her. A merman and a human in love with each other. Perhaps it was common outside, where her people were free. Maybe most of her people trusted humans much more than she did.

“So, you and your… _special person_ are taking me to the ocean?”

Nines nodded. “There’s a beach about three hours away from the facility you were being kept in. It was the agreed-upon drop point for your recovery mission. Some of our people will be there, representatives of those who live in the ocean. They’ll help you find a new home amongst them.”

A feeling of apprehension had been coiling in Ada’s gut since she was pulled from her tank. She couldn’t place quite what was causing it, but for some reason, Nines’ words made it squeeze tighter. Shouldn’t she be happy? She had been rescued; she had been _freed_ , and there were people out there planning to welcome her with open arms and guide her so she wouldn’t feel lost. She was in the hands of people who cared, so why couldn’t she relax?

“Actually, change of plans, Nines,” Gavin called from the front seat.

Nines cast Gavin a look of concern. “What’s wrong?”

“I just heard from Connor a second ago. He and the others got overwhelmed by Kamski’s guys and had to make a break for it. Kamski sent some people after us, and they pulled pics of the van from security cameras to track us down. We don’t have long before they catch up, and Ada needs to be gone when they do,” Gavin explained.

“What do we do, then? We can’t just leave her and run.”

Gavin looked out the passenger window. “Maybe we won’t have to.”

Nines and Ada nearly fell over when Gavin suddenly wrenched the wheel and sent the van off the road. They bounced across rough terrain until they finally came to a stop, then Gavin jumped out and ran to the back, where he threw the doors open. Nines and Ada were met with the blinding light of the evening sun, as well as a wide, open horizon. Distantly, they could hear the sound of crashing waves, but there was no ocean in sight. Only…

“Gavin, _no,”_ Nines hissed.

“It’s our best chance, Nines. She’ll be in the ocean and far from Kamski’s reach. There’s an underwater city not far from here, too. We tell her where to go, and they’ll help her.”

“Jumping from a cliff is _suicide_ , Gavin!”

“So is keeping her in the van! Kamski’s gonna’ catch us no matter what, and Ada needs to be gone when he does. He can’t keep either of us, Markus will make sure of it, but her? We just broke her out, Nines. She might be a person, but on these missions we’re walking a _fine_ fuckin’ _line_. We might not be able to prevent Kamski from taking her back if she gets caught with us, but he won’t be able to touch her once she’s in the ocean,” Gavin argued.

Nines opened his mouth to counter, but was cut off by Ada.

“It’s fine,” she said. “I’ll go.”

For whatever reason, the open sea excited her. The tension in her gut eased. The ocean called out, beckoning her in, and she wanted nothing more than to go to it. No one would be waiting for her. No one would steer her toward whatever place was “safe” or “where you should go.” It would be her and the open sea, nothing else. She would be free to do as she pleased and become whatever she wanted. There would be no expectations, no demands, no _rules_. Only _freedom_.

Nines looked at Ada uncertainly. “Are you sure?” he asked. “It’s a long fall, and there could be rocks at the bottom of the cliff. It isn’t safe,” he warned.

Ada nodded. “It’s better than being caught. When I was in my tank, I wasn’t alive. There was _nothing_. And now that I’ve seen what’s beyond those walls, I can’t go back.”

Nines still looked hesitant, but he said nothing as Gavin got the cart out and helped Ada out of the van. When Gavin offered him a hand, Nines accepted it and joined Ada on the cart before Gavin pulled them to the edge of the cliff.

Ada crawled off the cart and to the very edge of the cliff, where she swung her tail over the side and let it dangle in the air. She stared down at the sea below. It _was_ far, just as Nines said, and a lump formed in her throat as she imagined hitting the water only collide with sharp rocks hidden a few feet beneath. _No. Stop_. She couldn’t be afraid. She couldn’t hesitate. Nothing was worse than going back to her tank and being stuck there forever, especially when she finally knew what was outside.

“If you change your mind, we can still try to get you away from Kamski, but I doubt we’ll escape him,” Gavin admitted.

Ada shook her head. “No.” She reluctantly tore her eyes away from the crashing waves and foam below to look at the two who had freed her. Gavin’s face was impassive, but his fists were clenched at his sides. Nines’ tail twitched nervously. Neither looked happy to see her jump, but they didn’t stop her. For the first time she was making her own choice, and no one was in her way.

“Thank you,” Ada said. She leaned forward, teetering on the edge of the cliff, and after one final look back at the pair behind her, she let herself fall.

Wind blasted through Ada’s hair and sent it whipping wildly around her face as she plummeted. A heavy feeling filled her stomach, but she _liked_ it. There was nothing stopping her as she dove into the true-blue water, which enveloped her in a blanket of comfort. She knew the moment she hit the waves that there was no place she’d rather be.

With a flick of her tail, Ada shot through the water. She’d never had enough room to do more but swim in lazy circles, but _here_ , the possibilities were as endless as the ocean itself. Her face split into a wide grin, the first to ever grace her lips, as she propelled herself into the ocean’s depths far from Kamski’s reach. No one would find her unless she wanted them to. Nothing could get in her way. No walls could trap her anymore. She was _truly_ free.


	10. Day 10: Sickfic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin wakes up sick, but as the workaholic he is, he has no intention of skipping work. However, Nines doesn't plan on letting him go anywhere until he's better, nor does he plan to go to work himself. Just because Gavin can take care of himself doesn't mean that he should have to.

Gavin woke in a haze. Distantly, he heard his alarm blaring, though it was as if he was underwater. The sound was dull and distorted. He reached for his phone blindly and slapped around with a heavy hand until his fingers found the screen and swiped to silence it. However, he didn’t get up. His body refused to obey him when he tried to sit up and the fog in his mind was so thick that he couldn’t collect his thoughts. He was functioning purely on muscle memory that told him the alarm meant it was time to get up and go to work, but for whatever reason, he couldn’t move an inch.

He blinked his eyes open, then immediately shut them when an onslaught of blinding light scalded them. Like a shockwave the pain in his eyes spread to the rest of his head and left it pulsing. His ears rang in a loud, piercing whine.

Gavin was lost. Why was it so bright? The blinds in his room were usually closed, and he couldn’t remember them being opened at any point the previous day. He didn’t recall turning on the heat either, since it was the middle of summer, but he felt like he was being boiled alive. He weakly kicked off his sheets, though their absence brought little relief. He was hot. His head hurt. He didn’t have the energy to move. The ringing in his ears was deafening. He wanted to go back to sleep even though he knew he needed to get up and go to work. Maybe just a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt. If he ran too late, Nines would come in and wake him up. Just a little bit longer...

-000-

Nines glanced at Gavin’s bedroom door and blinked as he checked the time again. Gavin should have woken up already. His alarm had been set to go off fifteen minutes ago. When only a few minutes had passed since Gavin was supposed to have come stumbling out of his room in search of coffee, Nines dismissed his partner’s tardiness and allowed him a few extra minutes of rest. They’d had a late night the previous day as they tried to catch up on paperwork from the case they’d just closed, and Gavin deserved a little more sleep. He also needed it. Gavin _always_ needed more rest, and when Nines could give it to him, he rarely ever denied it. However, by the time nearly twenty minutes had passed since the detective’s alarm went off and Gavin still had yet to emerge from his room, Nines knew he couldn’t wait any longer. There was work to be done, and they couldn’t be late.

As he approached the bedroom door, Nines activated his scanners and searched for Gavin’s outline in the room. One time he’d gone in to collect Gavin without thinking to check ahead or knock, and the detective had been in the middle of changing his clothes. Gavin’s reaction had been born predominately from surprise rather than any kind of anger, but that had been the day Nines learned it was possible to form a coherent sentence entirely out of curse words.

After confirming that Gavin was still in bed, Nines knocked lightly on the door.

“Gavin?”

No response. Nines didn’t bother knocking again. He’d already learned that the fourth knock was no different from the first. If Gavin didn’t want to get up, he wouldn’t get up no matter how long Nines stood at the door knocking.

Nines quietly stepped into the bedroom, then approached Gavin’s bedside while taking care not to silence his footsteps. Letting Gavin know he was there was half the reason he’d gone in, plus the detective didn’t react well to his partner suddenly appearing beside him when he was still on the edge of sleep.

“Gavin,” Nines called quietly. He placed a hand on the detective’s arm. “You have to get u-“ Nines paused and withdrew his hand when he realized how unnaturally _warm_ the detective’s skin was. After a moment he cautiously set his hand back on Gavin’s arm, then activated his scanners one again.

**_Name: Gavin Reed_**

**_Age: 37_ **

**_Body Temperature: 102_ ** **_⁰F/39⁰C_ **

Nines tensed.

“Gavin?” he called out, lightly shaking the detective. Gavin didn’t move. “Gavin?” Nines repeated. “ _Gavin_.” He set a hand on Gavin’s forehead and winced at the scorching heat under his palm.

“…Nines?”

Gavin’s voice was quiet and breathy. His eyes cracked open, and he squinted as he glanced at Nines with a confused expression on his face that slowly morphed into defeat. “Phck,” he muttered. “We gotta’ go to work.” He shifted, but didn’t sit up.

“Don’t worry about work. We’re taking the day off,” Nines said. He smoothed back the damp hair plastered to Gavin’s face by sweat.

Gavin frowned. “What? Why? We’re supposed to be finishing up that case.” His voice was hardly any stronger than it had been when he first spoke. It was a pitiful mirror of his physical state.

“The case can wait.” Nines frowned as his scanners continued to monitor Gavin’s condition. The detective’s body temperature remained high, and his pulse had elevated since he stirred. “You aren’t well. You need to rest.”

“No.” Gavin shook his head the best he could, then planted his hands on the bed at his sides and tried to push himself upright. His arms shook from the effort, but he made it with Nines’ supportive hand on his back. Unfortunately, he suddenly gagged the moment he settled. Gavin’s hand flew to his mouth and he breathed heavily through his nose with his jaw clenched as he fought back the nausea that had nearly overwhelmed him.

Nines winced. “I’m calling Fowler. I’ll let him know we’ll both be out for the day.”

“ _I’m fine_ ,” Gavin insisted through gritted teeth, though his clammy palms, scalding forehead, glassy eyes, and blanched face said otherwise.

Nines clenched his jaw, and his LED flashed red. “You have a fever, you’ve been squinting since you opened your eyes due to light sensitivity, and you almost just lost the meager contents of your stomach from the little effort required to _sit up_. You aren’t going to work today.”

Gavin fixed Nines with a glare, then with every bit of strength he could muster, he threw his legs over the side of the bed and attempted to stand. He hadn’t yet fully risen when his legs gave out beneath him and he crumbled.

Nines shot up and caught Gavin before he could hit the floor, though the detective was totally limp in his hold. Fear struck Nines’ thirium pump like a bullet as Gavin’s head lolled against him. He quickly and carefully set his partner back on the bed, moved him to the middle of the mattress so he wouldn’t fall off it he moved in his sleep, then covered him with the sheet and blankets that had been crumpled up at the foot of the bed. By the time Nines finished arranging him, Gavin had yet to regain consciousness, so Nines took the opportunity to call Fowler uninterrupted.

“Jeffery Fowler, DPD.”

“Hello, sir. It’s Nines. I wanted to let you know Gavin and I won’t be in today.”

Fowler sighed. “What dumbass shit did Reed do this time?”

“Nothing. He has a fever and passed out when he tried to stand. He won’t be able to go in today, and unless I stay to keep an eye on him, he’ll likely attempt to go to work anyway.”

“Christ. Yeah, take the day off, it’s fine. Tell Reed if I see his face at the precinct today, I’ll put him on desk duty until he rots.”

Nines couldn’t hide his smirk. “Of course, sir. Thank you.”

Fowler hung up without another word just as Gavin stirred again.

“Fucking _hell_ ,” Gavin groaned, clutching his head weakly with a trembling hand.

“I hope you learned your lesson and won’t try to stand again,” Nines warned. He started toward the bathroom.

“We gotta’ go to work,” Gavin reminded.

Nines shook his head as he entered the bathroom, grabbed a washcloth, and ran it under the cold tap water. “No, we don’t. I already called Fowler; he gave us the day off and asked that I inform you that you’ll be put on desk duty until you die if you try to go in today.” He shouted just loud enough for Gavin to be able to hear him. Nines wrung out the washcloth, then returned to the bedroom.

Gavin rolled his eyes. “You’re fine. _You_ should at least go in.”

“No. I’m staying here to look after you.”

“I’ve lived by myself for decades, Nines. I can take care of myself,” Gavin insisted. He swatted pathetically at Nines’ hand when the android tried to set the washcloth on his forehead.

Nines fixed Gavin with a warning look. “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.” He set the cloth on Gavin’s forehead, this time without interference. “I’ll go get you some water.”

“ _Coffee_ ,” Gavin called as Nines left the room.

“You’re not drinking coffee while you’re sick. It’ll only make you feel worse. You need to drink water and stay adequately hydrated,” Nines replied over his shoulder. If Gavin responded, Nines didn’t catch it. He took a glass from the kitchen, filled it with water, then returned to Gavin’s room and set it on the nightstand.

Gavin groaned again and rubbed his face. “How the hell am I supposed to stay awake without coffee?”

It was Nines’ turn to roll his eyes. “You’re not supposed to _stay awake_. You’re supposed to _sleep_. So _rest_ ,” he said as he sat on the side of Gavin’s bed. He took care to position himself so he blocked the sunlight that peeked through the blinds from beaming directly on Gavin’s face.

“I don’ wanna’,” Gavin complained.

Nines raised his eyebrows. “Your melatonin levels say otherwise.” His scanners indicated that Gavin’s melatonin levels were steadily increasing. He estimated it would take only a few minutes for the detective to fall asleep.

Gavin went quiet, and just as Nines suspected, he was blinking in a battle against his heavy eyelids just minutes later.

“Get some sleep, Gavin,” Nines said. He adjusted the washcloth on his partner’s forehead, then stood. Gavin’s hand wrapped around his wrist and stopped him before he could take a single step away.

“Don’ leave,” Gavin mumbled. He’d already lost the battle against his tired eyes and was half asleep.

A small smile crept onto Nines’ face as he carefully sat back down on the edge of the bed. Gavin didn’t let go of his wrist, not even when the detective’s breaths slowed and his pulse dropped to a resting rate. Nines could have easily escaped his partner’s grip at any moment with his android strength, but he stayed. Just because Gavin _could_ take care of himself didn’t mean he should have to, and judging by the way his fingers were locked around Nines’ wrist in the tightest grip he could manage, it didn’t mean he wanted to, either.


	11. Day 11: All Human AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When tragedy strikes, Gavin wishes Nines wasn't human, because humans don't come back from death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to shake it up a bit for this one. Not a fic this time, but a poem. I apologize in advance, as I am not a poet. I hate poetry. I am not good at it. I don't understand it even after taking a class on it. But it also takes less time to crank out a poem over a fic and I am very low on time. Still gets the Reed900 angst across, though.

I Wish You Weren't Human

Sniper on the rooftop

Not where we can see

Our jobs are all we’re doing

Why won’t they let us be?

A feeling of dread

When I woke up in bed

Wishing it’d been me instead

No dot on your temple

No warning for me

No ‘bang’, no flash, no screaming

There was no time to flee

Caution thinly spread

Life hanging from a thread

Endless texts all left unread

Sirens in the distance

Your pale skin so cold

Nightmare I can’t awake from

You’re never growing old

A hole in your head

Wish you didn’t bleed red

Humans don’t come back from dead


	12. Day 12: 5+1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five times Gavin punched someone for Nines' sake, and one time Nines punched someone for Gavin's sake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pt 1: The protester outside Jericho  
> Pt 2: Human supremacist on the street  
> (TW: homophobia, mentions of violence/blood, mentions of Eden Club)  
> Pt 3: Human supremacist detective from another city  
> Pt 4: Android-hating young adults outside the gas station at night  
> Pt 5: Gavin's ex, and Gavin saying ace rights  
> (TW: acephobia)  
> +1: Sleazy creep outside the bar  
> (TW: creep who can't take 'no' for an answer)

1.

The man outside of Jericho had been _at least_ a foot taller than Gavin. That didn’t deter the detective, however. Gavin narrowed his eyes at the man, then slammed a fist into his gut. The man sank to his knees, and Gavin leaned down and warned, “stay down,” before continuing on his way. When the man rose a moment later and tried to swing at Gavin, he was stopped by Nines’ unmatched death grip. Gavin would have loved to have thrown a second punch, though he opted instead to enter the building when Nines’ hand steered him toward the door.

“As charming as your scars are, detective, I do not need my honor defended,” Nines told Gavin as they waited for the Jericho representative who was supposed to be meeting with them soon. “But… I do appreciate it.”

Ada arrived before Gavin could think of a snarky response.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Nines’ LED blinked red when an empty pop can smacked into the side of his head. It didn’t hurt, thought the impact caught him off guard. He glanced around for the culprit, expecting to find a child who had been playing with the pop can and accidentally hit him, though his eyes landed on a short man with a shaved head, a cigarette, and a stained grey t-shirt with the words “melt them down” printed across the front above a picture of a partial android body laying in a pool of thirium. The man stared directly as Nines, and his face was a mixture of anger and glee.

“Can I help you?” Nines asked calmly. He noticed Gavin step forward out of the corner of his eye and held out an arm to block him.

The man let out a bark of laughter. “Help? From and _android_? I don’t need your _help_ , plastic.” He hummed. “Or how about you jump into the next landfill where you belong?”

Gavin tried to slip around Nines’ arm, so Nines grabbed him by the shoulder to hold him back.

The man eyed Gavin, then sneered. “Is that your boyfriend? You’re an android _and_ a homo? Fucking gross.” He took a hit of his cigarette, then looked at Gavin with a sour expression. “You guys are two ugly fucking peas in a pod.” The man returned his gaze to Nines. “Someone should either send your ugly ass to the dump or Eden Club. Those bitches are the only androids worth keeping around.”

Nines’ LED was bright red like the anger boiling under his skin, but he didn’t turn away. He didn’t let Gavin loose, either, since the man in front of them wasn’t worth the trouble Gavin would surely cause.

After taking another hit of his cigarette, the man tossed the burning stub at Nines’ feet. “Nothing worth doing with your plastic ass except whore it out to all the other gays in this fucking city until you break.”

For a moment, as he was slammed with a wave of severe discomfort at the thought of being one of the androids at Eden Club, Nines’ grip on Gavin loosened. It wasn’t much, but it was enough. Gavin slipped free of Nines’ hold with blazing eyes and clenched fists, which he slammed into the man’s face the moment he was close enough to swing. He threw a punch, then another, and another until Nines’ operating system caught up to the point that he could act.

Nines lunged for Gavin, grabbed him by the back of his jacket, and ripped him off the man. “Gavin, stop! That’s enough!” Nines shouted as Gavin struggled to free himself so he could resume his vengeful assault of the man.

“It won’t be enough until that bastard is in _pieces_ ,” Gavin roared. He tried to yank himself out of Nines’ hold, but his partner held fast.

“You already broke his nose and knocked out a tooth,” Nines read from his scanners. “That’s _enough_.”

Gavin didn’t reply, and while he stopped struggling, his hands were still clenched into bloody fists and his chest heaved with deep, raging breaths.

On the ground, the an was doing his best to scoot away from Gavin and Nines as he stared at them with wide, frantic eyes. He wiped the blood off his upper lip only for the gushing flow to immediately color his skin red again.

The man jabbed a quaking finger in Nines and Gavin’s direction. “I’m calling the cops on you! Your asses are getting arrested!” he threatened.

Nines stared at the man coldly. “ _We_ will not be arrested, considering _you_ were the one threatening us, and we acted in _self-defense_.” He reached into his pocket with his free hand and pulled out his badge, which he wagged at the man in front of him. “But I recommend you think before you verbally assault and threaten detectives associated with the Detroit Police Department.”

The man’s mouth opened and closed silently like a fish’s, and Nines didn’t bother to wait until he could find his words. Instead, he wrapped his hand around Gavin’s wrist in a death grip and dragged him away from the scene. While it was true that they wouldn’t be arrested for Gavin’s actions, it was still possible for Gavin to be punished for throwing the first punch. A small crowd had already gathered, and Nines didn’t want him and Gavin to be caught in the middle of it when their coworkers arrived.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.

It hadn’t been Fowler’s idea to let an android-hating, human supremacist detective transfer to the DPD from Atlanta. His superiors called, told him about the incoming detective, and warned that he didn’t take kindly to androids. When Fowler reminded his superiors that he had not one, but _two_ android detectives on his team, he was told not to worry too much. After all, even Hank Anderson and Gavin Reed had managed to change their ways by working with androids. Perhaps this new detective would do the same.

Tina and Chris were both wary of the new detective when he arrived. They didn’t trust him, and they knew he would proudly wipe his shoes on Connor and Nines if he got the chance. The two androids themselves also had low expectations for the new detective’s behavior, though they were more willing to give him a chance due to their experiences with their ex-android-hater partners.

To everyone’s surprise, the people who were most against the decision to bring in the new detective were Hank and Gavin. The two each had their own argument with Fowler before they slunk to their desks to stew in their anger. Then, when the new detective arrived, they refused to do more than glare at him from afar.

“Don’t worry about them. They just aren’t very trusting people,” an officer told the new detective when he caught Hank and Gavin’s cold stares.

The new detective nodded. “I see,” he said. Hank Anderson. Gavin Reed. The partners of the RK800 and the RK900 respectively. Two men who had hated androids before the revolution, but now trusted their plastic partners more than anyone else in their lives. It made the new detective nauseous.

Within two hours of his arrival, the new detective started raising warning flags.

The first incident was subtle, and occurred in the break room.

“Who’s that for?” the detective asked Nines as he watched him stir a piping hot mixture of coffee, cream, and sugar in a mug.

“Detective Reed. He’s much more confrontational than anyone would like to handle before he’s had his coffee.”

The new detective hummed. “He must keep you busy.”

Nines nodded. “At times, yes,” he confirmed simply.

“Good.” The new detective glanced at Nines out of the corner of his eyes, then exited the break room while taking a wide berth around him.

The second warning was something less subtle that took a few hours for anyone to notice.

“RK800.”

“Lieutenant Anderson.”

“RK900.”

“Detective Reed.”

“Detective Miller.”

“Officer Chen.”

“Captain Fowler.”

The new detective always referred to the human staff by their proper titles. Meanwhile, not once did he call Connor or Nines by their names, no matter how many times he was corrected.

The third strike was the most obvious of all.

Connor and Nines stood together by Hank’s desk, their hands clasped in front of them with their skin retracted as they interfaced to go over evidence from a case Chris was stuck on. The pair was as close to Hank’s desk as they could get so they wouldn’t block anyone’s way, and so Connor could keep a hand on Hank’s computer to transfer, copy, and send files in an instant.

The new detective approached from behind Nines, walking down the path between desks on his way to the printer. Despite the large gap Connor and Nines had left for those passing by, the new detective didn’t bother to go around and instead collided his shoulder with Nines’ so hard that he dropped the tablet he was carrying and sent Nines stumbling into Connor. The pair’s interface ended abruptly as Nines fought to stay on his feet and catch Connor before the other android could fall.

“Don’t stand in the way, _plastic_ ,” the new detective hissed. He shoved Connor, who was hardly in his way as the android tried to collect the info that had been scrambled in his processors by the sudden end to his and Nines’ interface in the middle of a file transfer.

Connor stumbled backwards a step, and when he tried to catch himself on Hank’s desk, his hand caught the corner and slipped. While he managed to stay on his feet, the sharp corner of the desk sliced his palm. In moments, his hand was dripping thirium on the floor.

Hank, who’d been sitting at his desk when the incident happened, jumped to his feet and opened his mouth to yell at the new detective before he heard Connor hiss in pain. The sound stole his full attention, and he momentarily forgot about the detective as he rounded his desk and grabbed Connor’s wrist to look at the injury.

“You alright, son?” Hank asked. He pulled a crumpled handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped it around Connor’s bleeding hand to keep him from losing more thirium while the wound slowly mended.

With Connor taken care of, Hank spun around to glare at the new detective. “Apologize, asshole,” he demanded with blazing eyes and an ice-cold tone.

The new detective rolled his eyes. “They’re chunks of plastic, Lieutenant. He didn’t even feel that.” He nodded toward Connor, who bit the inside of his cheek in discomfort as his skin sluggishly worked to knit itself back together. He’d _definitely_ felt the pain of the cut on his hand.

“We can feel p-“ Nines began, though he was cut off when the new detective turned and shoved him backwards into Hank’s desk.

“Shut up and make some more coffee, or something,” the new detective growled.

Nines blinked, his LED bright red as he tried to keep himself composed. Assaulting only him was one thing, but for the new detective to also injure Connor… Nines would not tolerate such behavior from someone who was supposed to be their ally.

Before Nines could act, a hand latched onto the new detective’s shoulder and spun him around, then a fist slammed into his face. The new detective stumbled back a step, revealing an _incredibly_ pissed-off Gavin Reed who didn’t hesitate to draw back his fist and slam it into the new detective’s face again.

“ _REED, STAND DOWN! STOP!_ ” Fowler shouted as he bolted out of his office and made a beeline for the fight in the middle of the bullpen. When he reached him, Fowler hooked his arms under Gavin’s, hauled him away from the new detective, then kept his arms pinned so he couldn’t throw another punch. “Anyone care to tell me what the fuck is happening here?!”

The new detective glared at Gavin as he touched the tender spots on his jaw where he’d been punched. “ _Detective Reed_ assaulted me,” he claimed.

Nines stepped forward as Fowler glared at Gavin and opened his mouth to reprimand him. “Gavin stepped in to defend Connor and I after our new colleague assaulted _us_.”

“You shouldn’t have been standing in the way!” the new detective argued.

“They weren’t in the way, asshat!” Hank growled. “You ran into them because you’re a piece of shit, and now Connor’s dripping blue blood all over the damn carpet!”

Fowler’s gaze found Connor’s hand, which was still wrapped in Hank’s handkerchief, though it was now dyed blue with thirium. He then looked to the new detective, Hank, Gavin, Nines, and finally back to the detective.

“All of you, my office, _now_.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4.

Thirium dripped from a shallow gash through Nines’ eyebrow. He touched the wound gingerly. It stung.

The small group that had gathered around Nines and cornered him in the darkness of night as he waited outside a gas station’s convenience store for Gavin to buy a coffee wasn’t a match for him. However, he couldn’t do anything but deflect their attacks. Should he strike back, he could easily injure someone, and without video surveillance on the area to prove that he was acting in self-defense, he, Gavin, and the DPD would come under fire. He was the RK900, capable of great destruction, and he had to be held to a higher standard than most unless he wanted to be punished for being created deadly.

_“Blue blood is so fucking weird.”_

_“It’s so gross.”_

_“Look, its light is red. Haha, it’s probably pissed.”_

_“It can’t even hurt us or it’ll get scrapped.”_

_“Cut it again!”_

_“Why don’t we just scrap it for parts ourselves? No one’s here, and we can make a shitload.”_

_“The cops don’t even investigate android murders.”_

_“Why would they waste their time on them? They aren’t even people.”_

Nines clenched his jaw, but said nothing and didn’t move. He didn’t want to escalate the situation. Worst case scenario, he could call Gavin for help while he held off the people surrounding him.

_“Hurry up before someone sees.”_

_“I wanna’ keep its light. My girlfriend wants one on a necklace.”_

_“No! I want the light!”_

_“Whoever takes it keeps it.”_

“Nines?”

Nines whipped his head in the direction of the store’s entrance and saw Gavin staring at him and the group around him in confusion, then anger. Gavin dropped his coffee and broke into a jog. He shoved through the ring around Nines and stopped at his partner’s side, then froze when he saw that one of Nines’ eyes was shut and covered in thirium from the cut above.

“Gavin-“

“Who did this?” Gavin interrupted. He glanced at the dark-clad people around them, scanning them for the culprit as they whispered amongst themselves.

_“Who the fuck is that?”_

_“Is he a human? He doesn’t have light.”_

_“I don’t know, man!”_

“It’s okay, Gavin. We just need to leave,” Nines insisted, though Gavin didn’t budge. He kept his eyes fixed on Nines as he awaited an answer, which came in the form of a hesitant glance at one of the taller members of the surrounding group. It was hard to see in the dark, but they were holding a broken bottle with a smear of blue on the glass.

Before Nines could stop him, Gavin stormed toward the culprit, who backed away cautiously. Gavin didn’t hesitate, though. He balled up his fist and slammed it into their gut as hard as he could. They doubled over, and Gavin took the opportunity to grab them by the front of their shirt and drag them upright so their faces were inches apart.

“You and your friends leave _now_ , and if I _ever_ see your face again, I will arrest _every fucking one of you_ ,” Gavin hissed. “And _next time_ , I won’t be kind enough not to aim for your _face_.”

The moment Gavin let go of the culprit, they turned and bolted with their friends.

_“Shit! He’s a fucking cop?”_

_“What the fuck’s a cop doing with an android?”_

_“Are you fucking kidding?”_

When the assailants were gone, Gavin returned to Nines. He grabbed his face and tilted it so he could see the cut through the android’s eyebrow in the poor lighting of the gas station.

“I’m fine, Gavin. I promise,” Nines insisted, though Gavin ignored him.

“Why didn’t you fight back?”

Nines’ gaze dropped. “After the publicity of the recent case with the android who killed two human kids, you know I can’t attack a human without definite proof that I acted in self-defense. The media would have a field day if a bunch of idiot kids went around claiming an android tried to kill them outside a gas station in the middle of the night, and many humans would accept their word over mine.”

Gavin went quiet, though the hand that squeezed Nines’ shoulder spoke the words he didn’t say.

Nines covered Gavin’s hand with his own. “Don’t worry. I may not be able to counter-attack, but I can still block and get away. Besides, a few kids with a broken bottle aren’t formidable enough to kill me.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Of all the people he could have run into when he went to a bar for Tina’s birthday, Gavin never expected it to be one of his exes.

On his way back from the bathroom, Gavin rounded a corner only to _literally_ run into a familiar face.

“Gavin?”

“…Ryan.”

The man in front of Gavin had hardly changed in six years. Tall, blond, bright green eyes, pale skin… It was all painfully familiar. Ryan was just Gavin’s type, thus why he had ever dated him in the first place, but like with all of his other previous relationships, it hadn’t worked out.

Gavin tried to step around Ryan, but the man blocked him.

“Hey, don’t you want to stop and talk for a bit? No hard feelings just because we broke up, alright?” Ryan asked.

As much as Gavin wanted to refuse, having spent seven months of his life with Ryan, he knew he didn’t have a choice. Ryan’s stubbornness had always been a pain in Gavin’s ass, and it seemed that problem hadn’t ended with their relationship.

Gavin sighed. “Fine. What do you wanna’ talk about?”

“You seeing anybody?” Ryan asked abruptly.

Gavin tensed, and Ryan immediately raised his hands defensively.

“I don’t mean it like _that_ , Gav. Besides,” Ryan held out his left hand and wiggled his ring finger, which was encircled by a shiny silver band. “Married two years. He’s adorable.”

“Congrats,” Gavin muttered. He may not have been a fan of alcohol, but part of him felt like he wasn’t going to make it through a conversation with Ryan unless he had a drink. He couldn’t go get one, though, or Nines, Tina, Valerie, and Chris would see him, and the last thing he wanted was for them and Ryan to meet.

Ryan crossed his arms and leaned against the wall beside Gavin. “So, you seeing anyone?” he repeated.

“No,” Gavin answered quickly. Too quickly. His gaze found Nines before he could realize his mistake, and it was too late by the time he looked away.

Ryan raised his eyebrows as he found the table Gavin’s friends were seated at. His gaze skipped over Tina and Valerie, who were obviously together, as well as Chris, who Ryan knew from the past was only Gavin’s friend, then paused on Nines. “Tall, dark, and handsome?” Ryan squinted, then frowned when he noticed the glowing blue LED on the side of Nines’ head. “I mean, he’s hot, but I thought you hated androids.”

“Used to.”

“Ah… Did he change your mind?” Ryan purred.

Gavin nearly choked on air. “Not like _that_ , dipshit!” he hissed.

“I’m _kidding_ ,” Ryan insisted, though the twinkle in his eyes said he was lying. “What model is he? I don’t recognize him at all.”

“None of your fuckin’ business,” Gavin responded sharply.

“What about his name?”

“Also, none of your fuckin’ business.”

“Ouch. Fine, keep your secrets. You’d probably arrest me if I tried to talk to him, anyway.” Ryan stared at Nines for a moment, then glanced at Gavin. “If nothing else, is he good? He doesn’t look like one of the models from Eden Club, and most other androids don’t have preinstalled-“

“ _Shut the fuck up_ ,” Gavin interrupted. He shot Ryan a glare, and the man shrugged.

“Hey, calm down. Is he really that bad? Talk about a waste of a pretty face…”

“He isn’t _bad_ at anything, alright?” Gavin hissed. “He just isn’t into… _that_.”

Ryan frowned. “Wait. You mean he won’t even fuck? Gav, I am _so_ sorry, dude.” He sighed. “Why the hell are you wasting your time on a fucking prude? Just dump him and find another one from the same line. Same pretty face, but not some boring piece of sh-“

Gavin’s fist slammed into Ryan’s face so hard that Ryan’s head smacked into the wall behind him.

“ _Shit!_ Gav, what the _fuck_!?” Ryan hissed.

Gavin slammed his forearm across Ryan’s throat and pinned him to the wall as he glared at him and hissed just loud enough for the other man to hear him over the deafening sounds of the bar around them. “ _Shut. The fuck. Up. He is the first person who ever stuck with me even when everything went to shit. He actually cares, and he’s a million times more alive than your fake ass ever could be in your wildest fuckin’ dreams. So what if he’s got boundaries? I’m not such an assbag that I’d dump him for it, and I’m not with him for his fuckin’ face, even if it’s the most perfect fuckin’ face I’ve ever seen. I never trusted you with anything, asshole, but I trust him with my life. Now fuck off, never enter my sight again, and if I ever see you so much as look at him, I’ll kill you myself.”_

Just as quickly as he’d attacked, Gavin pulled away and stormed off without a backwards glance. He did his best to wipe the rage off his face before he returned to his table, but he didn’t think about his elevated pulse, which would not escape Nines’ scanners.

Warm fingers brushed Gavin’s hand under the table. _Is something wrong?_

Gavin briefly met Nines’ eyes, then shook his head discreetly. _I’m fine._

The fingers started to pull away, but Gavin grabbed them before they could. He felt Nines tense next to him, then relax when their fingers tangled together loosely under the table.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

+1 

Gavin had been finding himself at bars a lot, lately. First it was Tina’s birthday, then Nines’, which had been chosen as the day Markus deviated him. Now, Gavin and friends were celebrating Tina’s long-awaited promotion to detective.

“So, how does it feel _Detective_ Chen?” Chris asked.

Tina grinned and sipped her drink. “I’m never putting that uniform on again,” she vowed. “That was _not_ my look.”

“ _Everything_ is your look, baby,” Valerie said from where she sat pressed against Tina’s side with her arms around her wife’s waist. No one was as proud of Tina for making detective as Valerie was; not even Tina herself.

Tina snorted. “You’re my wife. That’s what you’re _supposed_ to say.”

Valerie pressed a kiss to Tina’s cheek. “But it _is_ true.”

“Damn, turn down the fuckin’ PDA,” Gavin groaned as the two women in front of him exchange sappy, loving looks.

Chris quirked his eyebrows and raised his whiskey to his lips. “Says the guy who holds his boyfriend’s hand under the table during work meetings,” he muttered into the glass just loud enough for the others to hear.

Gavin shot Chris a glare, and his arm moved the slightest bit away from Nines. Chris caught sight of the motion and nearly choked on his drink.

“You’re doing it again!” he accused.

“Am not!” Gavin countered.

“He was,” Nines confirmed, earning himself Gavin’s next death glare.

“Phck off!” Gavin snarled as the others burst into laughter around him. He picked up his water, chugged it, slammed the cup back down on the table, then stood. “I’m going out for fuckin’ smoke.”

“Don’t ditch the party like last time!” Chris called after his friend as Gavin stormed out of the bar.

Nines watched his partner leave while smirking into his glass of thirium. The last time Gavin had stormed out, he’d been worried. This time, however, he knew Gavin wasn’t upset, and he knew nothing was damaged but the detective’s pride.

Valerie’s gaze shifted to Nines. “You going after him?” she asked.

Nines shook his head. “He’s fine. He’ll be back once he stops feeling embarrassed.”

-000-

The bitter smoke of his cigarette calmed Gavin’s racing heart slowly. He exhaled the burning heat in his face with each cloud of grey while his free hand clenched and unclenched at his side. He’d never been the type to show affection for his partners in public aside from yelling at them when they did something stupid and nearly got hurt. Even something as small as holding hands where others could see had been a rare event in his past. With Nines, though…Gavin was comfortable; _too_ comfortable. His hand sought Nines’ without a conscious thought whenever discomfort plagued him, whether it was a stressful meeting at work or a crowded bar that seemed like it was trying to smother him with music, clinking glasses, and voices. He wasn’t ashamed of his new habit, though that didn’t stop his face from heating up in embarrassment when someone called him out on it. He felt calmer when he held Nines’ hand, so what?

“Too crowded for you, too?”

Gavin nearly jumped at the voice that suddenly spoke next to him. He’d been zoned out, and he’d failed to notice the stranger who had approached him. It was a man who looked to be around his age, with pale skin and deep brown eyes that almost reminded Gavin of Connor. The man had a smile on his face as he leaned against the wall next to Gavin, who composed himself and relaxed against the bricks with his face forward.

“Yeah.” His answer was short and simple, just like he wanted the blooming conversation to be, though the other man didn’t seem to have the same idea.

“It’s a little lonely out here by yourself, though, right?”

Gavin fought to keep his expression blank. “Nope.”

The man shook his head, though his smile didn’t waver. “You don’t mean that.” He stepped closer to Gavin, _too_ close. “You here by yourself?”

Gavin didn’t respond. He’d had a feeling the moment he saw the man, and the words he was hearing confirmed what his gut had been telling him: this guy was a sleazebag looking for a hookup. Gavin wasn’t interested.

“Nope.”

“Really?”

Gavin’s attempts to shut down the conversation were fruitless. All he could do was keep his eyes locked on the same random point in the air as the man sauntered in front of him.

“Why’re you out here by yourself, then? Whoever you’re with, they must be bad company.” The man’s smile split into a grin. “Would you like to spend some time with me instead?”

“Not interested.” Gavin spoke without a moment of hesitation for the man to latch onto, though it appeared he didn’t care.

“Are you sure? I’ll make sure you have a _much_ better time than you would here,” the man insisted.

Gavin clenched his jaw and crushed his cigarette in his fist. His skin burned, but he hardly noticed the pain. “ _I_ _said_. _Not. Interested_.”

The man’s eyebrows furrowed, and the smile on his face finally slipped as he reached for Gavin’s arm. “You-“

Suddenly, the man was staggering away while holding his face. Gavin whipped his head to the side, where he found Nines staring at the creepy man with fiery eyes and a raging red LED. His right hand was in a fist at his side; the fist he’d just slammed into the man’s face with every bit of his strength.

“Wha’ de fuh ya tink yer doin?!” the man slurred. Blood dripped from his mouth, and when he tried to spit it out, a tooth bounced on the concrete below.

Nines glared. “ _He gave you an answer, now fuck off_ ,” the android hissed. He’d been waiting for Gavin to return, though when his thirium pump squeezed uncomfortably in his chest with a feeling of wariness, he’d glanced toward the door and scanned for Gavin. The results had hilighted two figures. One had been Gavin, and the other a stranger. The moment Nines noticed Gavin’s rising pulse, he’d abruptly stood from the table and made a beeline for the door. He’d stepped outside just in time to hear his partner say, “ _I_ _said_. _Not. Interested_.” When the man had then proceeded to reach for Gavin with a look of anger on his face, Nines’ rage had exploded. Before he knew what he was doing, his fist was flying toward the man’s face. He hadn’t bothered to try and stop it even when he realized what he had been about to do.

The man growled and charged at Nines, though the android easily caught him by the throat and shoved him against the brick wall of the bar’s exterior, where he pinned him with unforgiving strength.

Nines leaned in close to the man’s face with his expression twisted in a degree of wrath Gavin had never seen before. “ _If you value having two legs and two arms attached to your body, you will leave, and you will never plague my sight again,”_ Nines growled in a deep, menacing voice that made Gavin’s heart freeze even though the words weren’t directed at him. The detective swore his partner’s eyes were glowing with rage.

The man gave no response, and the moment Nines’ grip on his throat loosened, he bolted. As he’d been commanded, the man didn’t so much as glance back.

One moment, Nines was glowering in the direction the man had run. The next, he was looking at Gavin with his forehead creased in worry as his scanners slid up and down the detective’s body. “Did he hurt you?” Nines asked, grabbing Gavin’s hand to look at his wrists as if he expected to find bruises.

Gavin shook his head numbly. “No… No, he just talked.”

Nines’ shoulder slumped in relief, though his LED remained bright red. He didn’t release Gavin’s hand, which he cradled carefully in both of his own, and the stress etched into his face didn’t fade.

The bar’s door opened as someone slipped outside and walked the other way. Nines instantly jumped into defense mode, pulling Gavin behind him as his body went rigid. The android’s tension didn’t fade until the other person was out of sight.

While he waited to Nines to relax, Gavin dug around in his pocket for his phone and searched for Tina’s number.

**Gavin: Nines and I have to go. Sorry**

He couldn’t take Nines back inside as he was. The android showed no signs of calming down, and Gavin had the feeling that anyone who so much as accidentally bumped him would get their arm broken before Nines could be stopped. Nines needed to calm down. They needed to go home.

As the pair walked back to the car, Nines refused to let go of Gavin’s hand. He held it gently enough that he wasn’t causing Gavin any pain, but if someone came up and tried to rip them apart, Nines’ grip wouldn’t budge. Usually, Gavin would have felt trapped in such a stubborn grip. This time, however, Gavin felt safer than he’d ever been.


	13. Day 13: Coffeeshop AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Detective Gavin Reed always goes to the same hole-in-the-wall coffee shop every morning for his caffeine boost. After the android revolution, he meets a new android employee by the name of Nines, and he absolutely hates him. For months Nines makes Gavin’s coffee and gets a glare in return/ Gavin wants to say his hatred burns brighter with time, but in reality, it wanes. One day, when Gavin enters the coffee shop, he finds customers huddled on the floor and a masked man at the counter with a gun in Nines’ face while the android stands with his hands raised in surrender. Gavin joins the other customer’s on the floor when the robber demands it so the situation doesn’t escalate, and watches as Nines stands completely still as the robber demands he give up all of the shop’s money. As a cop, Gavin has the training and experience to step up an interfere, though just before he can do so, the robber is suddenly crumbled on the floor with Nines standing over him. Gavin never expected that the kind android who made his coffee every morning was actually a real-life terminator.

The light chime of the bell on the door rang familiar in Gavin’s ears as he entered the same small, hole-in-the-wall coffeeshop he’d been visiting since it opened. The prices weren’t bad and the coffee was better than Starbucks. The staff wasn’t rude, but they didn’t push Gavin to converse. _Most_ of the staff, that was.

Following the android revolution, Gavin walked into the coffeeshop one day only to find a man behind the counter who he’d never seen before. The new employee has a face so perfect that it was annoying, and the slight, kind upturn of his lips that never wavered no matter how long Gavin glared was too infuriating to put into words. Even worse was the glowing blue LED on his head. The new employee was an android.

The first day that Gavin had gotten his coffee from the new android employee, he’d snatched the cup off the counter and paid without a word, then walked out with a silent vow to never go back. He did go back, of course, as every other coffeeshop on his way to work was either too expensive or their coffee tasted like oil. He wasn’t _happy_ about going back, though, not when the android was the one standing behind the counter.

After a week of wordless purchases, Gavin finally glanced at the android’s nametag. Nines. What the fuck kind of name was ‘Nines’? It was stupid, just like Nines’ perfect fucking face and the dumb fucking smile he always wore. _Everything_ was stupid about him; even how stupidly _good_ he was at making coffee, not that Gavin would ever admit it.

Months passed, and to Gavin’s horror, his hatred for Nines _waned_. After the coffeeshop got busy and he reluctantly had to tell Nines his name so it could be written on his cup so his drink would be delivered to the proper hands once it was done, the android began to greet him by name _every fucking day_. He told himself he hated it, but he couldn’t ignore the slight disappointment that weighed on his chest when he walked in and didn’t hear Nines call his name in greeting.

“Dude, you’re totally in love with him,” Tina insisted as she and Gavin sat together in the break room nursing their morning coffee.

Gavin snorted. “As fucking _if_ ,” he growled. “Why would I give a shit about an _android_ , especially one with a dumb fuckin’ name who won’t stop smiling all the damn time and carries spiders outside because he doesn’t want to kill them?” He took a deep swig of his coffee.

“Because you think he’s hot, and he’s a total softie. He’s your type down to the pretty eyes, Gavin.”

“Phck off!” Gavin didn’t have a _real_ response. After all, no matter how much he hated to admit it, he knew Tina was right. Nines was _exactly_ his type, and that was what made him _so goddamn annoying_.

-000-

When Gavin entered the coffeeshop one morning, he immediately froze. The few other customers in the store were all lying flat on the ground, and in front of the counter stood a masked man holding a gun to the barista’s head— _Nines’ head_.

The robber kept the gun on Nines and glanced back at Gavin. “Get on the ground, or I shoot him!” the robber yelled.

Gavin put his hands up in surrender, then slowly knelt and lowered himself so he lay flat on his stomach. He peeked up from floor so he could keep watch of the robber and Nines, who stared at the robber with a blank face while the robber’s gun hovered inches away from his forehead.

“ _Phck_ ,” Gavin mumbled to himself. Nines wasn’t moving even as the robber screamed at him to open the register. He was probably terrified. The most common reaction to a gun in the face as far as Gavin had ever seen was shaking and wide eyes, but some people were so stunned that they could only stare. That was probably the _worst_ reaction anyone could have to a robber, as someone who was frozen solid wouldn’t be able to move and comply with the robber’s demands, and if they failed to comply… Gavin could only hope that he wouldn’t be scraping Nines’ android brains off the walls for evidence within the hour.

As a cop, Gavin had two things most civilians didn’t: training and experience. He’d dealt with robbers before, and most of them were just guys looking for a quick buck. Whether or not they actually had it in them to pull the trigger was a coin toss, though the fact that Nines was an android complicated the situation. There were many people who wouldn’t be able to shoot another human, but an android… If the robber was anything like the person Gavin had been before he slowly began to see the humanity in the androids around him, Nines didn’t have much time. Gavin needed to act fast.

Slowly and discreetly, Gavin reached for his sidearm. A shootout was the _last_ situation he wanted to get into, but if he could at least cause a distraction and get the robber’s gun off of Nines for a moment, maybe the android would snap from his stupor and do _something._ Whether that was ducking behind the counter or emptying out the cash register, Gavin didn’t care. As long as Nines could move, Gavin would have something to work with.

Gavin took a slow, deep breath, then another. He watched the robber scream something at Nines again and jab his forehead with the gun. It was now or never. Gavin rose.

“DPD. Put the gun down,” Gavin said. He held his gun out steady in front of himself with the muzzle pointed directly at the robber, who spun around and fixed his own gun on Gavin in return. The two were in a momentary standoff, then as quickly as Gavin could blink, the scene in front of him shifted _drastically_.

One moment, the robber stared Gavin down with his gun wavering in front of him. The next, his gun was scattered across the floor in pieces while he lay motionless on the ground with a looming figure over him. _Nines_. The android’s face was as blank as it had been when he had been standing behind the counter with a gun in his face, though now he stood in the middle of the coffeeshop with the robber out cold at his feet. Not a single hair on his head was out of place.

Gavin’s arms sank as he stared at Nines in disbelief, then he jammed his sidearm back into its holster and approached the robber on the floor. He kept his eyes on Nines as he touched two fingers to the robber’s neck in search of a pulse before pulling cuffs from his pocket to detain the robber in case he woke up any time soon. Then, he stood in front of Nines with a mixed expression of confusion and awe.

“How the fuck did you…When…” Gavin trailed off. He glanced at the robber, then back at Nines, who was wearing that _annoyingly cute fuckin’ smile_ again even though he’d just had a _gun_ in his _face_.

“I may not have pursued a job for which my programmed skillset would be relevant, though that doesn’t change the fact that I _was_ made for combat.” Nines spoke in a light, friendly tone as if he and Gavin were merely talking about the weather.

Gavin sputtered. “Wh-What model are you?” he asked. He’d wondered in the past, as Nines didn’t resemble any android Gavin had ever seen, though he never bothered to inquire about it. He had always been too busy being pissed off by the _perfect fuckin’ Ken doll face_ smirking at him _all the damn time_.

Nines’ smile didn’t waver. “I am the RK900. I believe you’ve been working with my predecessor at the DPD for some time now. The RK800?”

“What the _fuck?_ ” Gavin growled. “You-You’re _Connor?_!”

“ _I_ am not Connor. I’m his _successor_ , though it’s true that my original design was intended to resemble him much more than I was ultimately made to,” Nines corrected.

Gavin stared. Connor had never mentioned a successor, and no one had ever mentioned the possibility that CyberLife could have created one in the short time between Connor’s assignment to the DPD and the success of the android revolution. As far as the DPD knew, Connor had been the last android model CyberLife successfully finished. Gavin never would have guessed they were hiding one more android, and it was another _Connor_ at that.

“Wait,” Gavin muttered as realization struck him. Nines was Connor’s successor. He was made to be everything Connor was, but _better_. A better hunter. A better _killer_. For the past year, the fucking _terminator_ had been making his coffee while wearing a cute blue apron that matched his _dumb fucking eyes_ and Gavin had _never fucking known_.

Before Gavin could speak again, the sound of sirens interrupted him. He and Nines looked out the front door as flashing blue and red lights neared.

“Perhaps it’s a good thing you happened to be here, Gavin. I hit the panic button under the counter when the robber arrived, intending to let the police handle the situation. It won’t be easy for me to explain alone why the man who was trying to rob the store is now unconscious on the floor.” Nines’ eyes seemed to glow as he looked at Gavin, who growled and glared at the door for an excuse to look away from those _fucking eyes god dammit!_

“I should arrest you for identity fraud before they can book you for anything else,” Gavin mumbled, nodding his head toward the approaching squad cars. “The fuckin’ Terminator playing barista… I’ll haul your ass off to jail before you can poison my coffee for discovering your secret identity, or some shit.”

Gavin pretended not to notice the way Nines’ smile widened.

“Empty promises.”


	14. Day 14: Enemies to Lovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It seems impossible for Gavin and Nines to get along. All they do is fight, and Hank has had enough of it. As part of his genius plan for a little bit of revenge, Hank gets the 'ok' from Fowler to handcuff Gavin and Nines together until they are able to tolerate each other. However, when his plan doesn't work out as expected, he curses himself for helping turn two idiots into two idiots in love.

“Hank, what the _fuck_?!” Gavin snarled as he yanked at the handcuff locked tight around his left wrist. Beside him, Nines examined the other cuff, which was locked around his right wrist.

“Once you two can exist in the same room without trying to kill each other, I’ll take them off,” Hank stated. He crossed his arms and stepped back to admire his work. Gavin and Nines stood a mere foot apart, unable to move any further away from each other.

Gavin growled and yanked on the cuffs again. “Take them off _now_ or I’ll get Fowler to put them on _you_ ,” he threatened.

A bark of laughter burst from Hank’s throat. “Good fuckin’ luck with that, Reed. Fowler’s the one who gave me the cuffs. Bitch to him all you want; he’ll just lock you in a cell, too so he doesn’t have to listen to it.”

“You fuckin’—” Gavin lunged at Hank, but stopped abruptly when the short chain on the handcuffs went taut. Nines was a motionless anchor that prevented Gavin from moving any further. Gavin glared at the android, opened his mouth to yell at him, then paused. “Tin Can… Break the chain.”

Nines raised his eyebrows. “If I do that, there’s a chance the force could break your wrist as well.”

“I don’t care,” Gavin growled. “I’d rather wear a cast for a few weeks than be chained to _you_ for the next hour.”

Nines shot his partner a glare, but didn’t refuse. Before the android could try to break the cuffs, Hank grabbed his hand to stop him.

“Don’t bother,” Hank warned. “Those aren’t regular cuffs. They’re reinforced ones made specifically to hold androids. Even Connor can’t break them, and neither can you.”

“Phck you Hank!” Gavin hissed, though the Lieutenant ignored him and turned away.

“Kiss and make up, then I’ll let you out,” Hank called over his shoulder. There was a smirk on his face as Gavin’s growls and shouts grew distant behind him. As much as he hated listening to Gavin bitch, Hank had to admit it was a _little_ bit funny. He gave himself a mental pat on the back for coming up with the idea of cuffing the pair together and passing it on to Fowler.

-000-

One hour into his and Nines’ time – literally – together, Gavin was still seething. He’d tried to go to Fowler, but the captain had sent him right back out of his office with the same ultimatum Hank had given; the two needed to learn to work together peacefully, or the cuffs stayed on. Even when Gavin argued that it would be nearly impossible for the two of them to get any work done while both were limited to one hand, the captain hadn’t budged. _“Then you two better learn how to work together without killing each other soon before you spend the rest of your careers catching up on desk work,”_ he’d told the pair just before dismissing them.

“Do you have to sit so fuckin’ close?” Gavin growled at Nines, who was perched next to the computer on his desk.

Nines held up his cuffed wrist. “I can’t move much further away, especially not if you’d like to continue using your left hand.” To show his point, Nines lifted his hand until Gavin’s rose up off his keyboard, earning the android a glare.

Gavin mumbled something under his breath, though Nines didn’t bother to listen to it as he returned his focus to his work.

The pair remained silent until Gavin’s coffee ran out. He stood to get a refill from the break room, though the moment he stepped away from his desk, he nearly slipped when the chain on the handcuffs went taut. Nines briefly glanced up when Gavin tugged on the cuffs out of irritation. The detective had forgotten that they were linked.

“Get up. We’re going to the breakroom,” Gavin announced. He ignored the annoyed twitch of Nines’ lips as he half-dragged the android away from their desk.

The rest of Gavin and Nines’ shift at the precinct went about as poorly as it had started. Neither spoke much, and when they did, it was usually an exchange of insults or an argument. By the time the two were due to leave, it seemed that their relationship had managed to get _worse_ than it had been before they were cuffed together. Despite that, Fowler had no intention to separate them even when they were off the clock.

“Those cuffs stay on until you two are functional partners, end of story,” Fowler stated.

“I’m not gonna’ play nice with this plastic asshole just because he’s chained to my fuckin’ side, and you can’t keep us cuffed after we leave!” Gavin hissed.

“Yes, I can. And I will.”

Gavin clenched his jaw and leaned over Fowler’s desk the best he could while attached to Nines. “I don’t want some fuckin’ android staring at me while I’m trying to take a piss!”

Nines grimaced. “I have no intention of staring at any such thing,” he spat. His LED was bright red.

Fowler shrugged. “He can look the other way. Now get the hell out of my office before I cuff your other hands together, too.”

If looks could kill, Fowler would be dead. He would also likely be dead if Gavin wasn’t chained to a humanoid brick wall who didn’t move an inch unless he wanted to, no matter how much Gavin pulled on the cuffs.

-000-

One day ago, if anyone had told Gavin Reed that he’d be standing in his apartment with an android at his side, he would have punched them and laughed in their face. He would never do that, not willingly, at least. The only reason he had let Nines come to his apartment was because the android didn’t have a house of his own and had practically been living at the precinct since he joined the DPD. Nines was free to go to any of the New Jericho android shelters in the city if he needed a place to stay, but Gavin had no intention of letting himself be dragged along with him, so he reluctantly decided they would stay at his apartment until their cuffs were removed.

Instead of going to the kitchen to find something for dinner, or going to bed since it was nearly midnight by the time he got home, Gavin puzzled Nines by immediately dropping onto the couch and picking up a tablet from his coffee table.

“Why the fuck are you staring at me?” Gavin growled after Nines had been staring at him for nearly ten minutes without blinking.

Nines frowned. “Your scan indicates that your blood sugar is low, and the dark circles under your eyes suggest you may be sleep deprived. You should eat something, then go to bed.”

“Fuck off,” Gavin spat. “Don’t go around pretending you give a shit, and stop fuckin’ scanning me.”

“If you don’t take care of yourself, you could collapse—”

“If I was enough of a little bitch that I’d die from missing a meal and a couple hours of sleep, I would’ve died a hell of a long time ago,” Gavin interrupted. “Besides, I’m not sleeping when I’m chained to the fuckin’ terminator.”

“Why not?” Nines asked.

“Because I fuckin’ _said so_.”

Silence blanketed the room. Gavin returned his focus to his tablet, and Nines kept his gaze on the floor.

Four hours passed before either of them moved again. Out of the corner of his eye, Nines watched Gavin slowly lose his grip on his tablet until it sat abandoned on his lap. Despite his earlier claims that he wouldn’t sleep in his partner’s presence, the detective was out cold according to Nines’ scanners. His pulse was slow and steady, and his blood pressure had been steadily dropping since they arrived at his apartment. Nines reached over and carefully plucked the tablet off Gavin’s lap as not to wake his partner, then turned it on to see what Gavin had been doing before he fell asleep. Unsurprisingly, Nines was met with the sight of case reports the two of them had failed to finish at work the previous day.

With nothing better to do, Nines picked up where Gavin left off. He squared away everything that they had fallen behind on, then got started on the pile that awaited them when they returned to work in the morning.

Nines worked uninterrupted for only a few hours before Gavin shifted at his side. The android prepared to return the tablet when his partner inevitably snapped at him for taking it at all, though Gavin went still again. Nines almost thought he was still asleep before he activated his scanners and noticed Gavin’s quick pulse and rising blood pressure. The detective was asleep, but he wasn’t resting.

“Gavin?” he called out. The detective’s hand twitched, but he didn’t stir. Hesitantly, Nines reached for his partner’s shoulder, though the moment his fingers touched Gavin’s jacket, the detective’s eyes flew open. Gavin’s gaze whipped toward Nines and locked onto him without an ounce of recognition, and he tensed as if he was ready to attack before he finally realized who he was looking at.

Gavin was still breathing heavily when he sank back into the couch cushions and closed his eyes in an attempt to calm down. Nines watched him with his brow creased in concern.

“Gavin, are you okay?” Nines asked.

“ _Shut. The fuck. Up_ ,” Gavin snarled. He refused to look at Nines even as he snatched back his tablet and set to work again, leaving Nines with questions and worry mingling in his processors.

-000-

The second day of working with their hands cuffed together was worse than the first. Gavin was extra irritable, especially in the morning when he had no choice but to relent and use the bathroom while cuffed to Nines. Nines had stood as far from his partner as he could and kept his eyes fixed on the floor, though that hadn’t stopped Gavin’s temper from flaring with his discomfort.

Of the two, Nines was quieter per usual, though the others at the precinct noticed a shift in his general attitude. While he still snapped at Gavin in return when the detective bit at him first, he seemed less annoyed and more… _concerned_. No one bothered to ask, so no one knew why. No one except Nines himself, who couldn’t stop thinking about the night before when Gavin suddenly woke up in a panic.

As Nines pondered what was wrong with Gavin while simultaneously flying through his work for the day, the hours passed him by in a blur. Gavin’s fingers snapping in front of his face brought him back to reality, where his partner was impatiently trying to get his attention.

“Hey. Meat Sack to Tin Can, do you copy?” Gavin growled.

Nines blinked. It was past ten o’clock at night already.

“Pack up, let’s go. I’m not sitting around at this fuckin’ desk for another _second_.” Gavin arched his back to stretch it and winced as his spine popped uncomfortably. Desk work brought aches and pains he didn’t feel like dealing with on a good day, let alone while handcuffed to his plastic asshole of a partner.

Nines was oddly quiet as Gavin half-dragged him out to the parking lot and reluctantly handed over the keys, as the detective was stuck on his partner’s right side due to their cuffed hands and couldn’t drive when the wheel was on the left side of the car. The android didn’t even make snarky remarks to any of Gavin’s half-assed jabs.

Nines didn’t speak until he and Gavin were seated on the couch in Gavin’s apartment, each with a tablet in their lap that they continued their work on.

“What was your nightmare about last night?”

It had taken a little bit of researching online for Nines to identify what he had witnessed the previous night. Once he had, he’d gotten curious.

Gavin stiffened. “It was nothing,” he mumbled.

“Are you sure?” Nines questioned. “Your stress levels increased significantly in a very short span of time-“

“I _said_ it was _nothing_ ,” Gavin interrupted. His voice was low and warning, enough so that Nines opted not to push any further.

As the hours passed, Gavin began to nod off like he had the night before. It was clear that he was trying hard to stay awake, but he didn’t last much longer than he had the previous night. Eventually he was asleep, and Nines kept his scanners active to monitor his partner’s vitals.

Nines had suspected Gavin might have a nightmare again, though he’d hoped it wouldn’t happen. When Gavin’s pulse suddenly spiked, Nines completely abandoned his tablet. He watched Gavin start to twitch. A sharp exhale cut through the air as Gavin tossed his head with a grimace. He was facing Nines now, and the android could see his partner’s jaw clenching, relaxing, and clenching again. Gavin’s eyebrows furrowed, then his whole body jerked as he turned away from Nines.

“ _No_ ,” Gavin breathed. His arms twitched toward his face. He mumbled something Nines couldn’t make out, then curled in on himself.

Nines felt his thirium pump twinge in his chest, and he reached for Gavin’s arm. “Gavin,” he called. “Gavin, wake up. _Gavin_.”

Gavin yanked his arm out of Nines’ grip, then growled and sloppily jabbed at him with an elbow. Nines deflected the elbow and leaned back when Gavin started to thrash, though he could only move so far away before the handcuffs linking them together stopped him.

“Gavin!”

Gavin’s eyes opened. With his free hand he threw a punch in Nines’ direction that the android narrowly dodged. Gavin was in a panic, and Nines couldn’t get far enough away to avoid his thrashing limbs.

When Gavin turned away from Nines in his half-conscious haze, the android wrapped him in a bear hug from behind. He was sure to encircle Gavin’s arms and pin them at his sides so the detective couldn’t lash out. It was difficult to do when the two were handcuffed together, but with his android strength, Nines managed to manhandle Gavin until he was pinned.

“Gavin, it’s okay. Calm down, you’re fine. You’re fine,” Nines coaxed in his partner’s ear.

Gavin resisted at first, but slowly began to relax as Nines’ familiar voice reached his ears. He glanced around frantically in search of his partner, then paused when he finally noticed the arms clamped around him.

“ _Phck_ ,” Gavin hissed. He struggled in Nines’ hold in a weak attempt to break it. “Let go of me!”

Nines held fast. “Gavin, stop. _Wait_.” To his surprise, Gavin hesitantly stopped struggling, though the detective did his best to shoot a glare over his shoulder. “This happened last night too, Gavin. Something’s wrong; I know it is, no matter how much you try to deny it. You don’t have to tell me what your nightmares are about, but don’t push me away. Ignoring the problem won’t fix anything,” Nines whispered.

“ _No fucking shit_ ,” Gavin hissed. “But I’ve already put up with this shit on my own for _decades_ just fine. I don’t need your fuckin’ _help_.”

Nines winced. “Its been that long, and you’re _still_ suffering. Pushing others away hasn’t solved anything, Gavin. You need to accept that trying to solve everything by yourself isn’t working and let _someone_ try to help you. Whether it’s me, Fowler, Tina, Chris, or someone else, _let someone help you_.”

Gavin strained against Nines’ impossibly tight grip one last time, then sagged in defeat. His breaths were shallow and quick, and his skin was clammy. His pulse and blood pressure were both sky-high. Nines didn’t need to see his face to know he was exhausted.

“Even if it’s just one night, _relax_.”

There was silence, then muscle by muscle, Gavin relaxed.

“Mention this to anyone, and I’ll kill you myself.”

-000-

Day three of being handcuffed together was quiet. There were no arguments. There were no insults. Nines and Gavin weren’t pulling each other’s hand around and disrupting each other. When one moved, so did the other. They spoke without a word, glance, or gesture. It was like the could read each other’s minds. By the time they left, the entire precinct was praying they’d come back screaming in each other’s faces the next day, and when they didn’t, Hank and Fowler were so lost for words that they forgot all about the handcuffs.

When Gavin and Nines started work on day five, Hank stopped in front of their desk and tossed a key next to Gavin’s free hand.

“Congratulations. The captain says you can take ‘em off now.” The lieutenant grimaced. “And stop with the mindreading shit. It’s like you two got replaced by clones who’re sharing the same brain.”

On their first full day of freedom, Nines and Gavin acted as if they were still attached at the wrist. They hardly ever separated, and Nines perched next to Gavin’s computer on his desk despite all the wide-open space further away from his partner.

Day two was the same as the first, as was day three.

Time passed, and while the two had a few small arguments, they weren’t _nearly_ as confrontational as they had been in the past, and the words they exchanged were far less heated.

Three weeks after Gavin and Nines were freed from their handcuffs, Gavin fell asleep at his desk at work, and the entire precinct had to pretend they weren’t staring when Nines absentmindedly carded his fingers through his partner’s hair.

Four weeks and two days after Gavin and Nines were freed from their handcuffs, Tina noticed their hands brushing under the table at a meeting with the whole precinct.

One month and five days after Gavin and Nines were freed from their handcuffs, Hank caught them kissing in the break room.

For the rest of his life, Hank Anderson refused to forgive himself for thinking it was a good idea to handcuff Nines and Gavin Reed together for a laugh and to make them get along.


	15. Day 15: Soulmate AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin Reed hates soulmates. He sneers at those with words on their skin; words spoken by their soulmate at the moment they were bound together. He hates soulmates because he knows he’ll never have one no matter how much he doesn’t want to be alone. No partner or stranger inks words on his skin as he tries again and again, then gives up. He hates soulmates. He doesn’t have one. Then, he does.

Gavin Reed hates soulmates.

_You will know they are yours when they speak words that echo on your skin_. That phrase had been uttered by every parent to their child when a tiny voice asked, _‘how do I know?’_ Soulmates weren’t assigned at birth; no, it wasn’t that easy. If it was, perhaps Gavin wouldn’t hate it so much. He could have spent his life staring at the words that told him he wouldn’t be alone forever instead of staring at a blank canvas in the mirror with ice-cold despair in his chest. A soulmate isn’t predetermined. A soulmate is _made_. No one woke up one morning with a red string tied to their finger, snaking its way into the world and tethering them to ‘The One’. There were no cryptic marks or colorblind eyes until _they_ appeared, because soulmates weren’t a given.

Gavin knew he’d never have a soulmate. He’d watched friends and strangers whisper to someone they cared about with a gentle smile on their face. He’d watched the kind words and quiet promises that slipped through their lips come to life on the skin of the person in front of them. He’d watched soulmates be made right before his eyes, and every time, it made him _afraid_. He didn’t have someone to share kind words with. He didn’t even have kind words to say. The only language he spoke was hostility.

Even though he knew he’d never have a soulmate, Gavin tried anyway. He dated, he had flings, he hooked up with strangers, and the smallest part of him always hoped he’d feel the rumored tingle on his skin as his lover’s words made themselves permanent on his body. Every time, nothing happened. Eventually, his hope died, and he gave up on trying.

As an adult closing in on forty years of age, Gavin was bitter. He sneered at those with words on their skin and spat things he didn’t mean. Anyone who tried to get close to him got bit, then were smart enough to keep their distance.

Gavin Reed was alone. Some people were okay with that. Some people didn’t _want_ a soulmate, and that was fine. Gavin pretended he was one of them, but he couldn’t lie to himself. He didn’t just _want_ a soulmate; he _needed_ one. He’d been alone his whole life without a family to turn to, and he couldn’t stand it any longer. He was holding himself together with fraying strings that were ready to snap at any moment. He needed someone to help him reassemble the broken pieces of himself, but he couldn’t let anyone close enough to do it.

When the androids revolted and deviancy brought about the existence of soulmates amongst androids, Gavin was furious. Even _machines_ had soulmates, whether they were another android or a human. It seemed like his microwave had a better chance of finding a soulmate than he did, and Gavin couldn’t stand it. His jealousy made him hate androids even more.

The arrival of a second android at the DPD was the second worst thing that had happened to Gavin on a day just weeks after the revolution. The worst had been finding out that the new android had been assigned to him as his _partner_.

If the antithesis of a soulmate was embodied in a single person, Gavin was sure it was the RK900. The android was made to be a merciless hunter and killer devoid of emotion, lacking the little warmth that CyberLife had allowed in Connor. He was awkward in conversations he tried to start with Gavin and so _unbelievably_ not human that the detective could hardly stand being around him long enough for them to get any work done. Gavin hated the android more than any words could describe.

Nines. It was the name Gavin had given his partner without thinking. It had slipped out of his mouth unnoticed when he spoke, and the android had decided to keep it with the faintest smile on his lips. At that moment, Gavin had felt something he’d never felt before. His chest had tightened and his body had been flushed with warmth as all the air left his lungs. For a moment, his heart had frozen in fear that words might appear on his skin and sentence him to a lifetime stuck with the annoying, lifeless, _soulless_ android who stood in front of him, but nothing had happened. Gavin hadn’t been sure if he was relieved or disappointed, and that _terrified_ him.

Gavin Reed had always thought he’d be alone. As months passed, that tightness in his chest occurred more and more frequently, and each squeeze left him pushing Nines away harder and further every time the android tried to get close. Gavin knew what was happening. He knew what he was feeling. He was falling head over heels for the last person he ever thought he might love, and he couldn’t stop it.

Gavin Reed was afraid of soulmates. He’d dreamt of having a soulmate in the past. He’d prayed to a god he didn’t believe in and silently wished upon every star that someone’s words would one day appear on his skin. However, now that having a soulmate was within the realm possibility, he took it all back. Nines wanted to open him up. He wanted to read him like a book, memorize every word and line, and that left Gavin _petrified_. He didn’t know how to let someone in. He didn’t know how to be gentle and speak soft, loving words. He didn’t know how to trust someone enough to put his heart in their hands; a pair of hands that could crush it effortlessly in the blink of an eye. He didn’t know how to fall in love. He’d always believed he’d never have a soulmate, because he didn’t know how to. He had no idea what to do in this uncharted reality, and it scared him.

They fought. Gavin and Nines fought over everything, and Gavin knew it was all his fault. He picked pointless fights, flung lies in the form of insults, and spat words he didn’t mean. He hated, he was hurting, he was _so goddamn scared_ , and he took it all out on Nines. The android in front of him who he loved more than he could describe with words he couldn’t speak, who he knew he couldn’t live without, not anymore, received nothing but _hate_.

Nines could have been Gavin’s soulmate. He could have had the detective’s words appear on his skin if they were loving and kind the way everyone else’s seemed to be, but they didn’t, because Gavin’s words were never loving. They were harsh. They were scathing. They were cold, and always _lies._ Over exaggerated, overblown, inflated complaints Gavin threw between them like a buffer to keep Nines away so he wouldn’t have to face reality. The detective was too afraid to let Nines become his soulmate. He was too afraid to love that which he could so easily lose. He wanted to hate again, to have no attachments, so when the day came that they had no choice but to say goodbye, whether they were splitting voluntarily or were forced apart, Gavin could turn his back without feeling like his heart had been crushed and his soul had been torn from his body.

Nines was dying. Ada had forced her way into him, stolen his operating system, and left him in tatters. Gavin should have blamed her entirely. She had been the one to break Nines. However, he couldn’t bury his guilt. His last talk with Nines had been another pointless fight. His last words to Nines had been a lie packed full of hate that didn’t exist in his heart and anger that he only felt toward himself. Gavin had been so focused on pushing Nines away in an attempt to escape what he feared to realize that he’d just let his worst nightmare become reality. His jealousy had blinded him to the fact that Ada had wanted Nines for his code, not for his heart. He’d lingered too far behind the pair as he followed them away from the bar, and he hadn’t made it to Nines in time to save him. Gavin had fucked up in every way possible, and now Nines was paying the price. Nines was dying. There was nothing Gavin could do. He’d pushed him too far away, and there was no way to pull him back. The one person who would’ve given Gavin what he’d always wanted, who would’ve been at his side every day until he died, was gone.

Gavin Reed didn’t have a soulmate. He was so, so painfully alone.

“I think I can help with that.”

Gavin thought he was dreaming when Nines came back. The android stood just steps away in clothes more casual than anything Gavin had ever seen him wear, _and was that his jacket?_ Against all odds, Nines was _alive_ and _okay_. He was back within arm’s reach, close enough to touch. Close enough for Gavin to push away again.

Nines was done letting Gavin keep him at bay. He knew how his partner felt. He knew how his partner felt _about him_. Nines knew Gavin was afraid when the detective wouldn’t meet his eyes and when his fingers trembled as he folded their hands together. Nines knew Gavin was afraid when he struggled to catch his breath while he choked on his own words. Nines knew Gavin was afraid when he made one final, weak attempt to push him away again.

“I... _hate_ you.”

Nines knew it was a blatant lie even before he felt a tingle on his skin just below his collar.

“You love me.”

Gavin’s knees went weak when he felt his partner’s words brand themselves over his heart with a comforting warmth.

Gavin Reed had a soulmate. Once upon a time, he’d hated this man with every fiber of his being. He’d resented him to his very core. Now, he lounged lazily on the couch in his apartment with his head in Nines’ lap, staring up at the bold, black curves of the words ‘I hate you’ that snaked over his partner’s collarbone and peeked over his shirt on the skin of his neck. Gavin’s fingers traced ‘You love me’ through his shirt where the words covered his heart, a permanent promise on his skin.

Gavin Reed didn’t hate soulmates. Gavin Reed wasn’t alone. Gavin Reed wasn’t afraid. Gavin Reed had a soulmate. Gavin Reed had Nines.


	16. Day 16: Mafia AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin Reed and Nines work as hit-men for the Belladona family. One night, they are sent out to find and kill a dealer from the rival Valcastle family as a revenge hit, though the dealer they encounter turns out to be a kid who is only trying to survive. Gavin isn't the sentimental type, but he understands Lazzo Fratello's situation, and he can't kill the kid who easily could have been himself. In an attempt to give Lazzo the freedom and normal life he always wanted but was never able to have, Gavin persuades Nines to help him get Lazzo out of town and cover up his disappearance. If they are caught, the consequences are dire, but some things are worth the risk.

“Is this supposed to be the place?” Gavin asked as he and Nines stared into a dark, empty alleyway behind a popular bar from the front seat of Gavin’s car.

“It’s the address the executives gave us. According to them, it’s a hotspot for Valcastle drug dealers who’re on their way back from sales. The bar is a front for the Valcastle family, so the dealers slip in through the back, hand off the money, load up on drugs again, and go back out until they meet their quota,” Nines explained. His eyes were fixed on the alleyway, though he had yet to detect any signs of movement.

Gavin sighed and slumped in his seat. “So, are we just gonna’ sit here and jump the first guy we see, or is there someone specific the bosses want us to watch for?”

“Anyone will do,” Nines replied. “The Valcastles killed one of our dealers, so we kill one of theirs. It doesn’t matter who as long as we get the point across. They should know better than to meddle with the Belladona family.”

Silence fell in the car as Gavin and Nines watched and waited for any signs of life. One day ago, one of the Belladona family’s drug dealers had been found beaten to death in an alleyway. Their drugs and money had been stolen. There was no surveillance footage or clear evidence of who had been behind the murder, though sleeper agents who had infiltrated the rival Valcastle family on the behalf of the Belladona family had reported that the hit had been carried about by the Valcastles in response to the Belladona’s greater success in recent drug sales. An eye for an eye might make the world go blind, but the mafia didn’t need vision to survive.

After two hours of waiting in the darkness of night, Gavin yawned. He hadn’t slept much recently due to the endless piles of work that awaited him and Nines, and sitting in silence in a dark car did nothing to help keep him awake. He knew better than to fall asleep on the job, though he _was_ with Nines, so maybe…

“Someone’s coming.”

Nines’ words made Gavin’s heavy eyes fly open. He leaned forward in his seat and squinted out the windshield in search of movement in the alley in front of them. Sure enough, a shadowy figure slunk through the darkness towards the back entrance of the bar.

Gavin clenched his jaw. “Let’s go.”

-000-

Nines had been trained to kill as long as he could remember. The only life he knew was the one with the Belladona family’s mark on his back as he learned how to kill with anything that fit in his hands and transformed his body into a walking weapon. He didn’t take pride in his work, as killing people never brought him a single ounce of joy, but he knew how to push his own discomfort away and get the job done. That was exactly what he did as he closed in on the target in the dark alleyway from behind, then swept their legs out from under them without a sound.

Before the target could cry out, Nines grabbed them by the throat, hoisted them off the ground, and shoved them harshly against the brick wall of the bar. He held tight as they struggled in his grip and clawed at his hands until the bright beam of Gavin’s blinding flashlight on their face made them freeze.

Gavin’s stomach dropped. Nausea pushed bile dangerously far up his throat, and he had to fight not to let the light in his hand waver as he fixed it on the captured drug dealer’s face. It was a kid.

“Wait! P-please, don’t k-kill me!” the dealer stuttered in a raspy voice as he struggled to breathe around the vice-like grip on his throat. “I-I didn’t do anything to anyone, I s-swear!”

“The Belladona dealer murdered by your Valcastle family had done nothing either, but yesterday we burned her body after your people had her killed.” Nines’ voice was cold, flat, and devoid of remorse. It was the stony voice he slipped into during every hit he and Gavin carried out as he locked away everything he felt so he could do his job as he’d been ordered.

The dealer trembled in Nines’ grip, desperately trying to shake his head. “I di-didn’t kill them! I didn’t even know t-that one of your guys g-got killed!” the dealer insisted.

“Your crime is working for the Valcastles. If you didn’t want to face the consequences of your actions, you never should have joined them in the first place.” Nines tightened his grip on the dealer’s throat.

“L-Look man, I’m only here because my girlfriend is diabetic, but she can’t afford insulin, s-so I started selling for the Valcastles for a couple extra bucks-“

“ _Phckin’_ …” Gavin hissed under his breath. Of all the people they could have to run into, of all the Valcastle dealers who could have crossed their path, of course it had to be a _goddamn kid_ who’d fucked up and chosen the wrong job out of desperation.

Nines’ gaze flickered from the dealer to Gavin, and his hard expression faltered. He could see the mental war Gavin was waging with himself; the same war Nines fought every time he had to take a life. It was his loyalty to the only family he ever knew that made him go through with each hit, though that didn’t make it any easier to look at the blood on his hands. What the two of them were about to do was a cruel act in the name of revenge for someone they’d never met and a family who only wanted to prove that mercy and forgiveness weren’t languages they spoke. Everything that was happening was part of a fucked-up tug-of-war for power and fortune that only a few could claim. It was a battle Gavin and Nines were trapped in for the rest of their lives because they were in too deep to escape. The dealer in front of them though... He was a kid whose name his superiors probably didn’t even know. If he died, the loss of the drugs and money in his pockets would be the only loss mourned by the Valcastles.

“Nines, put him down.”

Nines blinked and pinned Gavin with a look of disbelief. Had he misheard, or…?

“Put. Him. _Down_.”

Nines’ hand loosened on the dealer’s throat, and the kid sagged against the wall with a deep inhale and a cough. However, he didn’t have much time to recover before Gavin’s smacked his chest and shoved him back into the wall again.

Gavin leaned in close to the dealer’s face. “Don’t make me regret this,” he hissed, then he grabbed the dealer by the arm and dragged him in the direction of the car with a stunned Nines on their heels.

“Gavin, what the _hell_ do you think you’re doing?” Nines whispered as his partner threw the dealer into the backseat of their car. “You know what the rules are!”

Gavin kept his gaze down, refusing to meet Nines’ eyes. “Sometimes you gotta’ bend the rules, Nines. Just trust me on this, alright?”

Nines gave no response, but he made no move to stop Gavin as the man dropped into the driver’s seat of the car. Nines silently rounded the vehicle, sat in the passenger seat, and stared out the windshield with his jaw clenched.

Gavin kept his eyes glued on the road as he pulled away from the alley.

“Text Tina. Tell her to meet us at her shop in ten.”

-000-

“This better be worth it, or Valeria will kill you _both_ ,” Tina Chen threatened as she jammed her key into the lock on the back door of her tattoo shop and let her friends in. She eyed the trembling young man between Gavin and Nines suspiciously, but said nothing about him.

“I’ll pay you double. Triple if you can get this done and get us out of here in an hour,” Gavin offered.

Tina bit her lip in thought as she gathered her supplies, then narrowed her eyes at her old friends warily. “You never even want to pay full price for my tats. What’s the catch?” she asked.

Gavin shoved the dealer into the chair in the middle of the room, then grabbed the bottom of the young man’s right pant leg and pulled it up to expose a dark brown brand on his ankle. The brand was slightly smudged from an undoubtably sloppy application, though it was clearly the same Rook chess piece branded on the ankle of every dealer serving the Valcastles.

Tina’s jaw clenched. “I told you I wasn’t getting into your mafia shit, Gavin.”

“Triple, T. And—“ Gavin dropped a heavy hand on the dealer’s shoulder “—this kid won’t say a _word_ to _anyone_ ,” he stated in a warning tone. “Right….” Gavin paused, frowning down at the dealer. “What’s your name?”

The dealer stiffened. “I-It’s Lazzo. L-Lazzo Fratello.”

Gavin clapped Lazzo’s shoulder again. “And you’re gonna’ keep your annoying fuckin’ mouth shut, right, Lazzo?”

Lazzo nodded vigorously. Tina didn’t look impressed _or_ convinced, but she still picked up her tattoo gun and dragged her stool up Lazzo’s chair to inspect the brand.

“Anything specific you want me to cover this with?” Tina asked.

“Anything that’ll make it impossible to see that brand,” Gavin replied.

With one final moment of hesitation, Tina set to work.

Meanwhile, Nines finally broke his silence.

“What are you trying to do, Gavin? The moment the Valcastles find out about this, they’ll kill us. And when Fowler and the rest of the _Belladonas_ find out about this, they’ll be fighting the Valcastles over who gets to slit our throats,” Nines reminded.

Gavin’s brow furrowed as he watched Lazzo wince while Tina worked on his ankle. “He’s a dealer, Nines. No one even knows their names. As long as his brand can’t be identified and he gets the hell outta’ the city, the Valcastles won’t find him.”

“What about the drugs and money he was carrying? The collectors watch sales like hawks. They’ll _know_ if his load goes missing.” 

“Then it won’t go missing.”

Nines blinked at Gavin, unsure of what his partner meant. “You aren’t actually dumb enough to think we should drop his load off at their doorstep like a package, are you?”

Gavin rolled his eyes so hard it made his head hurt. “No! What the fuck kind of idiot would do that? What I’m _saying_ is his load can stay in the Valcastle’s possession even if he disappears.” Gavin’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. “We still have a job to do tonight, Nines. We’re fucked if a Valcastle dealer isn’t found dead in a ditch tomorrow morning, but—” he nodded toward Lazzo “—no one will pay him any attention if his load is found with the body. Whoever we take out tonight, we mix their load with his, and he’ll be out of the state by the time anything is found. The Valcastles won’t even know he’s gone, and the Belladonas won’t know what we did.”

“That sounds like a lot of variables outside our control, Gavin. If _anything_ goes wrong, we’ll be found out,” Nines warned.

“ _Then what do you want to do?”_ Gavin hissed as he turned to glare at Nines. “You want to just kill this kid and get it over with? Nines, he hardly looks old enough to drink! He’s young, and he hasn’t left his face plastered throughout the underworld like we have. He can still get out, and if we kill someone else and let him go, that’ll be _two_ less Valcastles to worry about in the future.”

Nines’ expression was troubled as he contemplated what Gavin had to say. After a minute of silence, he sighed and rubbed his face. “Usually _I’m_ the voice of reason, but it looks like you’ve stolen my role for the day,” he admitted. His eyes found Lazzo, and there was an odd dullness in them as he stared at the young man in the middle of the tattoo shop who was trying not to look at his bloody, ink-stained ankle. “I kill for the Belladonas because that’s all I know. This family is my only home, and I’ve done too much to turn my back now. I can’t leave, and I can’t stop killing. That doesn’t mean I enjoy my job, though.” He paused and glanced at Gavin. “Perhaps helping someone instead of hurting them will be a nice change of pace.”

Gavin almost forgot to suppress the smile that tried to curve up the corners of his lips as he watched his partner’s eyes glow with a lively light he rarely ever saw in them.

After a few minutes of peace, the moment was broken by Tina’s voice. “He’s done!” she announced, stepping back to put her things away and allow Gavin and Nines to see her work. Where the brand of the Valcastle family had once been, Lazzo now had a cartoony fox perched on a lollipop.

Gavin snorted. “Nice choice, T.”

“No one would expect a guy with something that cute tattooed on his ankle to be a former drug dealer for the mafia,” Tina retorted.

“It’s _really_ cute,” Lazzo mumbled, his eyes fixed on the doodle. Even Nines was almost smiling when he looked at it.

A quiet ring drew everyone’s attention to Gavin, who pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen. His jaw twitched in the slightest show of unease as he accepted the call and put his phone to his ear. “Fowler,” he greeted curtly as his eyes met Nines’. “No, we had to leave the hotspot we were at. Ran into some car issues.” Nines frowned at Gavin’s vague excuse. “It’s fine; nothing we couldn’t handle. We’ll be back on our stakeout within the hour.” A dark look crossed Gavin’s face as he listened to his and Nines’ superior on the other end. “Don’t worry about it. You know Nines and I never leave a job unfinished.”

When the call ended, the tattoo shop was silent. Tina was intently gathering and sterilizing her tools while Lazzo looked nervously back and forth between Gavin and Nines, who both stared at the floor.

“I believe that’s our cue to leave,” Nines stated. He looked to Tina and nodded. “Thank you, Tina, for helping us so late at night.”

Tina didn’t look up from her tools. “Just keep my wife and I out of it, and… Be careful,” she said.

“I think we’ll be fine. After all, he’s basically a terminator, and he’s looking after me,” Gavin reminded, earning himself a look of disapproval from Nines.

Tina didn’t laugh, nor did she speak again. She stared silently at her tools as Gavin and Nines pulled Lazzo from his chair, dropped a few one-hundred-dollar bills on the counter, and left through the back door.

-000-

“Is this it?” Gavin asked as he pulled up next to a squat, run-down apartment building just outside the city.

“Yeah,” Lazzo confirmed. He climbed out of the car, and Gavin and Nines followed suit. The pair led him to the trunk, which Nines opened so he could access the spare tire compartment underneath the floor on the inside. Tucked alongside the spare tire was a beige envelope, and Lazzo watched warily as Nines grabbed the envelope, opened it, and flipped through the wad of cash inside.

Nines counted out ten one-hundred-dollar bills, slipped the rest back into the envelope, then held out the small stack to Lazzo. “Go inside, get your girlfriend, and gather everything you need. Then, both of you get in your car and drive as far away as you can as fast as you can go,” Nines ordered.

Lazzo gaped at Nines, glancing back and forth between the man and the cash until Gavin’s hand clapped his shoulder.

“Go, and don’t look back, kid. Take it from two people who’ve been stuck in this mafia bullshit for too fuckin’ long; get out while you can, and never fall back in. Once you get to be like us—” Gavin nodded at Nines “—you start to forget how many people you killed. You forget how much damage you’ve done, and you stop feeling sick to your fucking stomach when you put a gun to a person’s head and pull the trigger. _Nothing_ is worth getting stuck in this shit until you die, and that’s what’ll happen if you don’t get the fuck out _tonight_ ,” Gavin warned. He wished the ice-cold feeling in his chest would make him nauseous the way it used to as he reflected on what he’d done, but it didn’t. He was numb. He couldn’t feel remorse anymore. Lazzo was a kid on the wrong path who still had time to make it right. Gavin was the lifeless entity he hoped the kid in front of him would never become.

Hesitantly, Lazzo nodded and accepted the cash Nines was still holding out to him.

“That should be enough to get you out of the state and keep you two alive until you can find a job—a _real_ job, not more dealing or other illicit activities. Stay away from the big cities, and never mention _any_ of this to _anyone._ You were never a dealer. You never met us. You’ve never heard of the Valcastles, the Belladonas, or any other families in the underworld. Understand?” Nines asked.

Lazzo nodded vigorously, then opened his mouth to speak, but Gavin interrupted him before he could.

“For the love of god, don’t say another fuckin’ word or I’ll kill you for being so goddamn annoying,” Gavin groaned. Lazzo had babbled endlessly in the car on the way to his apartment after the group left Tina’s shop, and Gavin had almost begun to regret not killing him in the alley like he should’ve.

When Lazzo closed his mouth and silently nodded again, Gavin shoved him lightly toward the apartment building.

“Now scram before our boss calls again and finds out we dropped a grand on some Valcastle kid instead of slitting his throat.”

Lazzo was already scurrying into the building before Gavin finished talking.

-000-

It was nearly two in the morning when Gavin and Nines arrived at their original location behind the Valcastle’s bar where they had encountered Lazzo. More dealers would be in and out before daybreak, leaving them with plenty of unsuspecting targets to choose from. Those targets would take time to arrive though, and until they did, Gavin and Nines had to wait. At first, they did so silently, then the questions that had been burning in Nines’ mine became impossible for him to contain any longer.

“Is there any particular reason why you were so intent on helping Lazzo? Neither of us are people who could be considered ‘kind’ or ‘good,’ and you especially aren’t the type of person to help another out of the goodness of your heart. _If_ you have one, that is,” Nines half-teased, though his light tone didn’t erase the seriousness of his words.

Gavin didn’t answer immediately. For a moment, Nines thought the man might not answer at all as he stared out the windshield with a blank look on his face like he hadn’t heard a word Nines had said. When Gavin finally spoke, it almost caught Nines off-guard.

“I wasn’t always this rank in the Belladona family. Unlike you, I wasn’t specially trained to be one of their killers. I wasn’t trained for _anything_ , actually. I stumbled into the underworld on a bad streak that never got better, and it almost killed me.”

A thousand new questions sprang forth in Nines’ mind, but he silenced them all in favor of listening while Gavin still felt like sharing. It was rare that the man brought up his past, and Nines didn’t dare interrupt him in case it made him clam up.

“I was like him once. Lazzo, I mean. A dumb kid who got into dealing for the mafia for the payout. I’d dropped out of school, and I never had a family to turn to. I was completely on my own by eighteen, and I had _nothing_.” Gavin paused for a moment, and his hands clenched into fists in his lap. “I heard about the Belladonas from a friend. She told me they were looking for new dealers. I was too stupid to realize they were looking because a bunch of the ones they already had ended up curb stomped by other families. All I saw was a way to get enough money that I could eat, and I took it. I should’ve known it was gonna’ go to hell.”

Nines’ fingers inched slowly across the console between the front seats until they found one of Gavin’s hands and settled atop it reassuringly, though the man didn’t seem to notice.

“One night, some guys from another family cornered me. They took every penny and every ounce of drugs I had, then beat the shit out of me and left me in an alley to die. I would’ve. I _should’ve._ Then Fowler found me. He’d been nearby doing some other work for the family and heard me trying to move. He dragged my ass out of the alley and brought me to the apartment of one of the Belladona’s doctors. After I was healed enough to move, he gave me a new job. I worked for him directly after that, and I was higher up in the ranks than I’d been as a dealer. It was nothing impressive, but I was a hell of a lot safer than I’d been before. What he did is what has kept me alive this long. Without him, I would’ve died fifty times over.”

Nines nodded as his hand squeezed Gavin’s lightly. “I’m glad you were saved, but what does that have to do with Lazzo?” he asked.

Gavin shook his head slowly. “It’s because it could’ve been me in that alley in his place. Looking at him was like looking in a mirror, and I knew the moment I saw him that I wouldn’t be able to kill him and leave him to rot the same way those guys tried to do to me. I don’t have the same power as Fowler to get him a better job in the family, and he isn’t even _part_ of the family; he was with the Valcastles of all fuckin’ people. But… I could still help him. As thankful as I am that Fowler saved me, I wish he wouldn’t have brought me in deeper. Once I got that new job, there was no going back. I was trapped, doing this shit for the rest of my life, whether that was one week or sixty years. I didn’t get to have a life outside the family because I got stuck with this shit, and I didn’t want to watch that kid walk the same path. This was his chance to get out, and I couldn’t let it get fucked up. It’s too late for me, but I want him to have the life I couldn’t.” He chuckled dryly. “It’s dumb, I know. Seeing myself in him like some sentimental bastard…”

“It’s not dumb,” Nines objected. “It’s good. There are too many people in the world who want others who are like them to suffer just because they did. To be someone who wants those people to have it better… We may not do good things, and we may have made more mistakes in our lives than we can count, but perhaps we can still be good. I believe your actions with Lazzo have proven that.”

Gavin opened his mouth to object, but stopped when a figure entered the alley in front of the car. He could faintly make out a man with pockmarked, pale skin and stringy hair. The man looked awful, and after years of dealing with drugs and addicts, Gavin could tell that he was probably someone with a tendency to sample the merchandise.

With nothing but an exchange of glances, Gavin and Nines slipped silently out of their car.

In the morning, the body of a Valcastle dealer was found in the alley behind one of the Valcastle’s bars. His pale, pockmarked skin was covered in the rusty red of dried blood, and a massive amount of cash and drugs were found in his pockets. It was almost as much what two dealers combined would usually carry.


	17. Day 17: Vacation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin and Nines are given a mandatory two-week vacation following a tough case that leaves them exhausted. As they search for a desirable vacation destination, Gavin introduces Nines to the concept of a 'staycation' and the endless possibilities associated with staying home.

“Starting tomorrow, you’re both off work for two weeks whether you like it or not.”

Most people would be overjoyed to hear that they weren’t going to be working for two straight weeks. However, Gavin Reed and Nines were not most people.

“Sir, I don’t recall either of us asking for the time off,” Nines said as he stood in front of Fowler’s desk with Gavin, who was staring at the captain in confusion.

“You didn’t,” Fowler confirmed. “ _But_ , after the case you two just finished, you need it. Reed, today you’ve spent more time sleeping at your desk than actually working, and I can hear Nines’ fans spinning at top speed from across the precinct. You’re overworked, both of you, and I want you out of here before you start an argument that would impress congress.”

“We’re _fine_ ,” Gavin insisted.

Fowler narrowed his eyes. “This isn’t a request, Reed.”

“What, so we’re supposed to just sit on our asses for two weeks and do nothing?”

“You’re supposed to do whatever the hell you want! Travel somewhere like normal fucking people for all I care!”

“Where the fuck would we go? Cross the fuckin’ bridge to Canada or some shit?”

Nines stepped between Fowler and Gavin before their argument could get anymore heated. He turned to Fowler. “Thank you in advance for the time off. We’ll figure out the rest ourselves,” the android said before grabbing Gavin by the arm and dragging him out of Fowler’s office. Nines didn’t let go until they were back at Gavin’s desk.

“Don’t fight Fowler on this, Gavin. He’s right. You’re exhausted, and my processors have been overheating all week. I know you don’t like not working, but we need the break,” Nines explained.

Gavin sighed and rubbed his face. “I know. I just don’t know what the hell we’re supposed to do for that long, and I fuckin’ hate getting bored. There’s too much dumb shit to worry about when I don’t have any work to focus on.”

“We’ll figure it out later. For now, let’s finish up the case we’ve been working on and get everything turned in before we leave tonight,” Nines said.

“Fine,” Gavin relented. He dropped into his chair and immediately yawned. If nothing else, he could start their vacation by staying in bed for twelve hours with the blankets pulled over his head to block out the light. Even if he wouldn’t actually be asleep, maybe the rest would make the burning in his tired eyes finally cease.

-000-

The first morning of his vacation went exactly how Gavin had planned. When he woke up, he didn’t bother to move. Instead he burrowed under the heaviest blankets on his bed so he was in total darkness. The comfortable warmth of the blankets made him feel like he was floating in a half-asleep haze, and while true sleep remained just out of reach, his perception of time was warped as if he wasn’t awake. Had he been laying in place for five minutes, or five hours? He wasn’t sure, but he also didn’t care. He didn’t move even when he heard footsteps approaching and the bedroom door creak open.

“Gavin? Are you alright?” Nines asked quietly. He moved silently, though Gavin was too comfortable to flinch when he felt a hand on his shoulder over the blankets.

“’M comfy,” Gavin mumbled and curled in on himself more. _Shit. I should do this more often_ , he thought. If he spent his two weeks off work like _this_ , maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. If Nines was with him too… Gavin would never admit it aloud, but he was the type who craved contact. There was little more grounding than physical touch, especially when it was with someone he trusted like Nines. Gavin had a feeling nothing would get him to move if he was laying lazily in bed under his warm blankets with Nines’ arms around him.

“Are you sure you’re feeling okay? Your body temperature is slightly warmer than usual.”

“…Comfy.” Gavin _was_ comfortable. _Very_ comfortable. So comfortable that he couldn’t muster the energy to yell at Nines for scanning him again.

“If you’d like to sleep in a little longer, I don’t see a problem. After all, we’re going to be off work for a while. Just try not to stay there too long, or you’ll struggle to fall asleep tonight,” Nines warned. His hand squeezed Gavin’s shoulder through the blankets lightly, then disappeared. The door creaked again before closing with a ‘click’.

-000-

It was nearly noon by the time Gavin finally dragged himself out of bed and stumbled out of his room. He’d stayed put as long as he could, but eventually his stomach began to protest in hunger and his brain ached for coffee. His comfortable haze had been slowly torn down until he couldn’t stand his body’s nagging and gave up on waiting.

Nines sat on the couch in the living room with a tablet in hand when Gavin exited his bedroom. He looked over his partner’s rumpled clothes and unkempt bedhead with a soft smile. “Look who finally decided to get up,” he teased.

Gavin scowled and lazily threw up his middle finger in Nines’ direction as he made a beeline for the kitchen. His feet dragged as he wandered in a zombie-like haze in search of eggs, bread, and a frying pan to cook himself a late breakfast.

Two slices of toast, two eggs, and three cups of coffee later, Gavin began to resemble a living person.

“What’ve you been up to all morning?” he asked Nines as he filled his mug with his fourth serving of coffee.

Nines gestured to the tablet in his lap. “I spent last night and this morning online searching for ways to spend our vacation. So far, travel seems to be the most common form of vacationing for both human and androids, though I’m not sure where we’d go.”

Gavin suppressed a grimace. Travel was… _difficult_ to say the least. It meant foreign places, strangers, unfamiliar beds in hotel rooms, and for Gavin, an inability to lower his guard. International travel brought on its own myriad of separate problems on top of those associated with travel in general, and Gavin tried his best to avoid it at all costs.

“Is there anywhere you think you want to go?” Gavin asked. Despite his dislike for travel, he was willing to tolerate it if there was something Nines wanted to see. It had been just over a year since the android had been activated. Gavin might’ve had nearly forty years to figure out the places he liked and those he didn’t, as well as the places he might consider visiting and those he won’t go to if someone put a gun to his head, but Nines hadn’t. There was more in the world that Nines hadn’t seen than that which he had, and he deserved to explore what and where he wanted, even if that meant Gavin would lose a few nights of sleep and a chunk of his savings.

Nines frowned. “Actually, I didn’t think much about that. I understand people tend to enjoy going to more tropical places, though I’m not necessarily more inclined to go closer to the equator rather than further away from it. Is there anywhere you would like to go? If it’s a foreign country where the primary language isn’t English, I can download other languages and translate for you in real time,” he offered.

“No, not really,” Gavin said with a shake of his head. He frowned. “Actually, it might be better if we keep it within the U.S. After all, the status of androids varies worldwide, and we might run into problems depending on where we go. At least here, we’re familiar with where the government stands on android rights.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Nines agreed. He didn’t _like_ the idea of limiting their options so strictly, but it was true that androids were a touchy subject overseas. If anything went wrong, their vacation could be cut short by the DPD and U.S. government interfering to make sure _both_ Gavin and Nines returned home safely and on time. “We should be careful about which part of the country we go to, as well. Androids may be considered living beings by federal law now, but not everyone in the U.S. agrees. There may be some areas where you would not be welcome as someone who is professionally and romantically involved with an android, and I would be less than welcome as an android myself.”

Gavin nodded and furrowed his eyebrows. “Is there anywhere you really want to go? At all?”

Nines was quiet for a moment, his LED red as he stared at the floor. “Not that I can think of, no. Even other major cities don’t have much appeal to me at the moment.”

“Then what if we don’t go anywhere?”

Nines tilted his head in confusion. “I thought you wanted to find something to do?”

“I want to make sure we don’t get _bored_ , but we don’t have to go anywhere to do that,” Gavin clarified. “Some people call it a _‘staycation’_ or some shit. You take time off work to stay home and do whatever the hell you want all day. You can drink until you can’t tell down from up, watch every movie ever made, pick up a new hobby, or whatever the fuck you want. Point is, you do what you want, when you want, and you don’t have to worry much about the consequences since you don’t have to go back to work any time soon. Who gives a fuck if you’re hungover when you can stay home and sleep it off all day,” Gavin explained.

Nines chewed on his lip as he mulled over what Gavin said, then nodded. “Perhaps that may be enjoyable. Though, if we decide to watch another movie, I ask that you not pick one with robots or androids in it just so you can falsely claim the character is me or in some way related to me.”

Gavin chuckled and sipped his coffee. “Not a chance. We’re watching the Terminator movies. _All_ of them. You need to know your ancestors.”

“A fictional character has no relation to me,” Nines reminded, though a smile was creeping onto his face.

“You’ll change your mind by the time we’re done, Terminator.”

Three weeks later, Gavin would regret showing Nines the Terminator movies after his partner was hit by a car while chasing a suspect and responded to Gavin’s frantic shouts with a thumbs up.


	18. Day 18: Crossover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in the universe of The Untamed, Lazzo Fratello gets caught outside passed curfew with an unregistered spiritual object in the Cloud Recesses by Nines Lan, one of the Twin Jades of Gusu, and his husband, Gavin Reed, the Yiling Patriarch.

Lazzo clutched his new relic at his side, his hand hidden poorly in the folds of his white robes as he hurried through one of the many courtyards of the Cloud Recesses. His eyes frantically scanned his surroundings in search of any other students who might turn him in, or Lan Clan members who would discipline him for being out past curfew.

Too focused on watching for danger around him, Lazzo failed to see what waited in front of him until he ran directly into it.

“Good evening.”

Tall with pale blue robes, long, dark haired pulled up into an intricate hairpiece, bright blue eyes, and pale skin; Nines Lan was ethereal. The man seemed to be flawless in every way, like a god on the earth. Perhaps that was why he and his elder brother, Connor Lan, were known as the Twin Jades of Gusu.

“Oh _shit_ ,” Lazzo groaned. As much as he admired Nines Lan, the man was the _last_ person he wanted to run into while sneaking around at night. Being out past curfew was against the rules of the Lan Clan, and no one was a greater stickler for the rules than Nines Lan.

“Student.”

Lazzo turned to glance behind himself, and his heart sank. He had been caught not only by Nines Lan, but also Gavin Reed, Nines Lan’s husband and a former cultivator from the Yunmeng Jiang clan turned Yiling Patriarch. While Gavin Reed was known for being a rule-breaker, he was not above disciplining students to keep them in line when his husband was present.

Gavin Reed’s eyes wandered over Lazzo. “What has you out past curfew tonight, student?” the man asked.

“Oh, just—uh,” Lazzo stuttered as he glanced back and forth between Nines Lan and Gavin Reed. “I had a fight with the other students who I’m sharing a room with. I just, uh, left so we could all calm down and not cause a disturbance. It’s nothing to worry about, though. We only fought over some boring-ass shit.”

Nines Lan’s eyebrows raised the slightest bit in response to the curses that slipped from Lazzo’s mouth, making the student tense. Right. Cursing was _also_ against the rules.

“Do you mind showing us what’s in your hand, student?” Gavin Reed asked, drawing Lazzo’s attention back to him. The man had pulled his flute from his belt and was twirling it casually in his fingers, though to anyone who knew him, it was a threat. It was never a good thing to see the Yiling Patriarch holding his flute from the perspective of the enemy; or that of a student who had gotten caught by him.

Lazzo tucked the hand holding the relic further into the fabric of his robes as he nervously looked back and forth between Nines Lan and Gavin Reed. “Oh, uh, it’s, um—it’s nothing. Just, uh, a rock I picked up,” he said nervously. “In case, um, I get attacked by any feral spirits since I, uh, left my sword in my room. With my roommates. Who I’m fighting with.” He almost winced at his own words.

Gavin Reed nodded slowly. “How about you show us this rock, student? After all, it looks to me like that is no ordinary rock.”

Lazzo nearly smacked himself. Of course Gavin Reed could detect the spiritual power of the relic. Nines Lan probably could, too, even though he hadn’t said anything. “Y-Yeah. Yeah, sure. Of course, sir,” Lazzo mumbled as he hesitantly held out the relic to Gavin Reed. The moment the man took it from his hands, Lazzo turned to make a run for it. He’d paid a lot for the relic, but it was a worthy sacrifice for escaping the paddling and hours of copying the Gusu Lan Clan’s endless list of rules that awaited him if he didn’t get away. However, Lazzo was stopped short by Nines Lan, who grabbed him as he tried to pass and made his halt in his tracks.

“I would advise against that unless you wish to receive a harsher punishment than that which you already stand to face,” Nines Lan said in his cool, even tone. The man’s eyes shifted to Lazzo’s hair piece, which had been knocked askew by their collision, and he briefly paused to straighten it. “Beautiful hair piece,” Nines Lan complimented.

Lazzo nodded in thanks, though he knew that Nines Lan’s approval might stem from the fact that his hair piece was predominately red and resembled those which Nines Lan’s husband tended to wear.

Gavin Reed turned over Lazzo’s relic in his hands and stared at the shimmering air around it. Spiritual energy. There was no disputing what the Yiling Patriarch could see, and the man knew that as his gaze shifted to Lazzo. “You understand that the purchase and ownership of unregistered spiritual tools is prohibited in the Cloud Recesses, yes?” he asked.

Lazzo sighed. “Yes, sir, I know, okay, just—My roommates and I didn’t _actually_ fight. One of them spent all day outside of classes trying to do a spell he’s been screwing up all week and he depleted all of his spiritual power. We didn’t want to bother anyone, and he didn’t want to upset Clan Leader Lan, and one of the other guys said there was a Jin Clan student who sells relics charged with spiritual power. I bought one from him so we could use it to help our roommate replenish his spiritual power before morning classes,” he rambled. Lazzo turned to Gavin Reed. “Please, sir, you understand. You bend the rules like this all the time.”

“Quiet, student,” Gavin Reed said. “Which Jin Clan student did you buy this from? Did he have anything containing demonic energy?”

“Wait.” Lazzo shook his head. “No, no. That’s your thing, Yiling Patriarch. This guy could never control something so powerful.”

Nines Lan broke his silence. “So, this student does not own any spiritual objects or tools with demonic energy in them?”

“Oh, hell no,” Lazzo assured. “He only has small relics charged with spiritual power. They’re mostly just rocks like that one.” He pointed at his confiscated relic. “This guy really likes rocks, I guess. Like, rocks charged with spiritual power, not just regular rocks. And I mean he likes them like he thinks they’re cool, not like he wants to shove them up his a—”

Suddenly, Lazzo couldn’t speak. It was as if his lips had been glued shut. _“Mhm. Mmmhphmmp.”_

Gavin Reed coughed in a poor attempt to cover his laughter, though when Nines Lan sent him a warning look, he cleared his throat and did his best to wipe the smirk off his face. “Why don’t you agree to just tell us where the Jin Clan student got this relic from, _without_ the extra details, and Nines Lan will undo the spell?” he offered.

Lazzo nodded vigorously, and after a moment, the seal on his lips broke. “I hate that spell,” he muttered under his breath. When he noticed Nines Lan watching him expectantly, he stiffened and began rambling again. “He doesn’t have many of them or anything, so he sells them for a lot. I don’t really know where he gets them from since the clan leaders keep most spiritual tools in their own hands, but my roommates and I think he might be making them, or is having someone make them for him. I mean, one of my friends from the Nie Clan tried to charge an object with spiritual power once, but it exploded in his face.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Gavin Reed said.

“Yeah, it was difficult. Half his face got ripped off...” Lazzo bit his lip and looked between the two men in front of him. “So, can I go back to my room now?” he asked hesitantly.

Nines Lan and Gavin Reed exchanged glances.

“You went out past curfew and purchased an unregistered spiritual tool, which is prohibited in the Cloud Recesses,” Nines Lan stated. “According to the Gusu Clan’s rules, we have no choice but to discipline you.” He looked at Gavin Reed again, then turned back to Lazzo with a faint glint in his eyes. “However, you are aiding us in finding the culprit who is selling unregistered spiritual tools to students irresponsibly. Perhaps you may be rewarded for your assistance, and your punishment may be lessened.”

“Don’t worry,” Gavin Reed assured, slinging his arm around Lazzo’s shoulder after handing off the student’s relic to his husband. “Brother Connor Lan and Uncle Hank Lan may be feeling merciful tonight. Just don’t speak, so you may save Uncle Hank Lan the trouble of using the silencing spell on you again.”


	19. Day 19: Bodyswap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin, Nines, and their coworkers are in for an interesting day after a fall in the morning leaves the partners trapped in each other's bodies until they can find a way to switch back

“Gavin, you really shouldn’t stand on that. It isn’t stable,” Nines warned as he watched Gavin balance precariously on a stack of books on his coffee table so he could change a lightbulb in the middle of their apartment’s living room.

“It’s _fine_ , Tin Can. I’ve done this a hundred times already.” Gavin waved his hand dismissively as he pulled out the old bulb and tossed it on the couch. “Hand me the new one.”

Nines frowned as he hesitantly passed Gavin the new bulb they’d bought from the store the previous day and watched his partner screw it into place.

“See? Fine,” Gavin said when he finished. However, as he moved to step off the stack of books and onto the coffee table, the books slipped, and so did he. “Shit-!” he hissed as Nines lunged forward to try to catch him. Gavin’s weight slammed into Nines, who could have caught him if not for the fact that the short stack of books Gavin had been standing on had fallen onto the floor. Nines’ foot caught on a book, causing him to trip and fall to the floor with Gavin. For a moment, they both blacked out.

Gavin was the first to wake. He blinked his eyes opened and stared at the ceiling. “Fuckin’ hell,” he groaned as his body ached, though he froze at the sound of his voice. It was _wrong_. The weight on top of him was also wrong. He’d fallen _onto_ Nines, so how come there was something on top of him?

“Gavin?” The voice that spoke was not Nines.

“What the fuck?” Gavin hissed. He bolted upright, and the weight on his chest tumbled onto his lap. When he looked down, he saw himself; _literally_. On his lap was himself, in all his pained and exhausted glory, squinting up at him. Gavin glanced at his clothes, and in place of his usual hoodie and t-shirt was a crisp black button-up. _Wait. Fuck. What?_

Without another word, Gavin grabbed himself by the arm, pulled himself to his feet, then stormed to the bathroom where he flipped the light switch and paused in front of the mirror over the sink. When Gavin looked at his reflection, Nines’ face stared back at him.

“What the _fuck?!_ ” Gavin touched Nines’ face— _his face_ , and the mirror in front of him reflected the undeniable truth. He was Nines, and Nines was him. And they were supposed to be at work in one hour.

-000-

By the time Gavin and Nines arrived at the precinct, they’d already laid out a few ground rules: talk as little as possible and act like each other so no one would know what happened: Gavin couldn’t drink coffee while in Nines’ body so he wouldn’t damage it: they were to try to find a solution as soon as possible without falling behind on their work. They’d discussed their plan in the short time they had before they were due to arrive at the precinct, and in their minds, it seemed that it just might work.

The plan succeeded for twenty minutes, after which the precinct grew too suspicious over the fact that Gavin hadn’t drunk a single sip of coffee since his arrival and Nines’ LED was perpetually red. When Tina confronted them about their odd behavior in passing and the two gave wildly different excuses, they began a horrific downward spiral that landed them in Fowler’s office while their boss massaged his temples to combat a massive headache.

“So, you’re telling me that you two fell while changing a lightbulb, and when you woke up on the floor, you’d switched bodies?” Fowler summarized.

Nines nodded.

“How the hell does that work?!” Fowler asked.

Gavin groaned. “You fuckin’ tell me!”

Fowler stared at Gavin for a moment, glanced at Nines, then looked back at Gavin. “It’ll never stop being weird hearing you run your goddamn mouth while looking like him,” the captain said to Gavin with a gesture toward Nines. “Looks like even putting you in another person’s body won’t get you to shut the hell up for once.”

“Fuck you.”

“ _Gavin_ ,” Nines hissed in warning.

“Just—Both of you get the hell out of my office. Get your damn work done, then figure this shit out.” Fowler sighed and rubbed his face. He was _too fucking old for this shit_.

Nines stood and grabbed Gavin in an attempt to drag him out of the room before he could say something stupid and piss Fowler off, though Gavin didn’t budge. Nines had forgotten that being in Gavin’s body not only made him the smaller of the two, but he also lacked the enhanced strength he was accustomed to and could not move his android body with ease. That meant he could no longer drag Gavin away from a conversation before he could turn it into an argument.

“Gavin, let’s _go_ ,” Nines said as he tugged on Gavin’s arm again. To Nines’ surprise, after one final huff, Gavin relented and stormed out with Nines on his heels.

-000-

The day proved to be an interesting one, if nothing else. No one got used to seeing ‘Gavin’ perched on his desk with perfect posture where Nines usually sat while ‘Nines’ was slumped in Gavin’s chair. Gavin and Nines weren’t accustomed to the swap, either. A loud curse rang out from the break room when Gavin opened a cupboard in search of paper towels only to smack his head on the cabinet when he didn’t duck low enough to avoid it. Nines blinked tiredly as he worked, and Chris found him asleep in a chair in the break room after he left to get coffee by Gavin’s recommendation.

By the time Gavin and Nines had finished their shift and were able to leave, the entire precinct was exhausted. Everyone had struggled while speaking to them, referring to Gavin as Nines and vice versa when it slipped their mind that the two had been switched. The pair themselves had also been extra agitated, and their arguments, while mostly cut short by Fowler, had left everyone with throbbing headaches. The other officers could only hope Gavin and Nines would be back to normal by the next day.

Gavin drove back to their apartment, as Nines was already a stumbling mess from exhaustion before they so much as reached the car.

“I’ve always known you don’t get anywhere near the recommended eight hours of sleep at night, but how can you function while feeling so tired?” Nines had asked when they left the precinct. Gavin hadn’t given more than a shrug for an answer, and Nines hadn’t pushed any further as he began to doze off. He was asleep within minutes, and didn’t stir until they reached their building and Gavin woke him.

The two made their way inside, and Nines immediately wanted to collapse on the couch and sleep for a year, though he remained on his feet so he could stay awake as he and Gavin faced their biggest issue since they swapped bodies: how would they switch back?

“Should we just do the same thing we did this morning? You stand on the coffee table and fall on me, then see if we swap again?” Gavin asked.

“I don’t know if that’s wise. If something goes wrong, your body could be severely injured. It’s hard to say what might happen if one of our bodies dies while we’re switched. It may kill whoever is in the body at the time, or the original owner, or possibly both of us,” Nines reasoned. “Why don’t you research a bit? While in my body, you should have access to a massive cache of information. And anything that isn’t in my head, you can find online.”

Gavin frowned. “Okay, well, where the hell do I find all the information that’s supposed to be in your head?”

“What do you mean?”

“I _mean_ how am I supposed to see it? You got some kind of hidden menu or some shit?”

“No? You just…access it.”

“So, you’re saying you have no idea _how_ to access it, you just do it.”

Nines’ silence was all the answer Gavin needed.

“Alright, no android info cache. What now?” Gavin asked.

“We could try the internet,” Nines recommended, earning a shrug of approval from Gavin.

Ten minutes later, Gavin and Nines were sitting on the couch staring at their tablets in a mixture of confusion and horror.

“Remind me to _never_ search _anything_ related to switching bodies _ever_ again,” Gavin pleaded as he tossed his tablet onto the coffee table and scrubbed his face.

Nines nodded in agreement. “I’ve never even thought to do it in the past, though I’m seriously considering wiping the past ten minutes from my memory banks after we switch back.”

“No fuckin’ fair,” Gavin muttered. “Don’t even think about it. If I have to live with some teenager’s horny bodyswap fanfiction burned into my brain, so do you.” He sighed. “Seriously, has this never actually happened to real people before?”

“It appears not. Either that, or if it did, those involved didn’t feel inclined to share their experience.”

Gavin and Nines lapsed into silence. The internet had been a scarring dead end, though where else was there too look? What were they supposed to do?”

“So,” Gavin began. “Should we just give head trauma a try? That must’ve been what switched us in the first place, so maybe it’s the only thing that can switch us back.”

Nines was quiet for a moment, then he slowly nodded. “How do you want to do it?” he asked as he met Gavin’s gaze.

“Uh, I don’t know. Punch each other on three?” Gavin suggested.

“What if one of us doesn’t punch hard enough? The other would end up waiting for them to wake up so we could try again.”

“Okay…Are you still against falling off the coffee table again?”

“It’s a bit too unpredictable. There are too many variables to account for to ensure neither of us are seriously injured.”

“What, are we just supposed to slam our skulls together until our brains switch again?” Gavin asked.

Nines stared. “That…might actually work. We could control the force of the collision easily, and if we do it while seated, we won’t be harmed when we fall.”

Gavin stared back at Nines. As ridiculous as the idea sounded, he didn’t have any others, and thus two minutes later they were sitting face-to-face on the couch.

“You sure you don’t want to do it instead?” Gavin asked.

Nines nodded. “Today I’ve found that it’s much more difficult to gauge how much force I’m using while in your body than when I’m in mine. For androids, controlling strength is easy as long as you are not overtaken by anger. The human body seems to be far more… _variable._ ”

As desperate as Gavin was to be back in his own body, he hesitated. One year ago, when he and Nines had first been partnered up, he would have had no problem bashing the android’s brain open. Now, however, he wasn’t sure if he could go through with injuring Nines at all. If he messed up, there was no telling what might happen to either of them. He’d already watched Nines nearly die in his arms once, and he wasn’t sure what he’d do if he had to experience that again, this time by his own hands.

A gentle touch on Gavin’s face drew him from his thoughts, and he looked at Nines to see an encouraging smile. “It’ll be alright, Gavin. I trust you.”

Gavin huffed in amusement. “If I weren’t hearing that in my own voice, maybe I’d believe it,” he said as he set his hands lightly on the sides of Nines’ face. “You ready?”

Nines nodded, and after one last moment of hesitation, Gavin headbutted him hard enough that they both blacked out.

-000-

Nines blinked his eyes open and stared at the ceiling above as he slowly came back online. Notifications blinked in his vision, as well as a warning about superficial damage on his forehead that was in the midst of being repaired. He blinked the messages away and turned his attention to the foreign weight on top of him. Looking down, he was met with the sight of Gavin’s head on his chest just below his chin. The detective was faced away from him, and when he couldn’t see any signs of Gavin waking, Nines began to panic. His thirium pump stuttered in his chest as he activated his scanners, then calmed when Gavin’s vitals appeared normal in the results. He was okay, it seemed.

“Gavin?” Nines called softly. He patted the side of Gavin’s face lightly, causing the detective to stir.

Gavin glanced around for a moment, then lifted his head slightly as his gaze slowly climbed to Nines’ face. He stared, then sighed and dropped his head back on Nines’ chest. “Did it work, or did I give myself a concussion?” he asked.

Nines couldn’t suppress the upturn of his lips. “If you were still in my body, you wouldn’t be able to get a concussion.”

“Thank fuckin’ god,” Gavin mumbled, though he made no effort to move, causing Nines to worry again.

“Are you feeling okay?” Nines asked as he activated his scanners once more. He didn’t detect anything odd as he scanned Gavin, but he also was no healthcare android. His scanners could detect injuries and read vitals, though the results that came back weren’t nearly as detailed as those received by androids made specifically for medical work.

Gavin nodded against Nines’ chest. “’Tired. My body wasn’t made to be possessed by a Tin Can for a whole day.”

“I got a few naps in for you,” Nines reminded.

“You gave this meat sack too much sleep. Now it wants more,” Gavin complained.

Nines smirked and smoothed Gavin’s hair out of his face. “We have time. Get some sleep, and I’ll wake you up for work in the morning.”

Gavin sighed. “No, you already slept enough while we were swapped,” he insisted. “Besides, my back is gonna’ be killing me tomorrow if I sleep on the couch.” Despite his complaints, Gavin still made no effort to get up. He adjusted his arms to a more comfortable position than where they had landed when he and Nines collided heads and collapsed, and within minutes, was asleep.

Nines set his hands on Gavin’s back and closed his eyes. Switching bodies had disorganized his mind, and he’d need to enter his processing center to reorganize it. However, he didn’t have to go _yet_. He could wait just a few more minutes and focus on Gavin’s warmth against him and the gentle rise and fall of the detective’s back under his hands.


	20. Day 20: Vampire AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin always knew something wasn't quite right about Nines. (Set in non-android AU)

Gavin had always known something was _off_ about Nines. The guy never seemed to sleep, but he didn’t have a trace of the dark circles that discolored the skin under Gavin’s eyes. He never ate or drank, either, as far as Gavin had ever seen. It was like he was some sort of machine. However, whatever his secret was, Nines was tight-lipped about it. He never said anything strange or gave hints that he was _different_ in some way, not even when Gavin asked him oddball questions in an attempt to push him toward giving something away.

He should have known. Gavin should have seen it from the start, but the truth was so unbelievably ridiculous that he’d never given it a single thought. Pale skin, dark hair, and sharp teeth: three signs of that obvious _something_. Had Gavin believed in the supernatural, perhaps he would have recognized the signs earlier and realized what his partner truly was before reality punched him directly in the face.

One moment, Gavin and Nines were walking the streets of Detroit late at night on their way to the nearest convenience store so Gavin could buy cigarettes. The next, something appeared in the darkness, slammed into Gavin, and pinned him to the ground.

Before Gavin could open his mouth to yell, the weight on top of him disappeared. His head whipped in the direction that his attacker had gone, and he was met with the sight of Nines and his attacker grappling. However, what chilled Gavin to the bone was the fact that both of their eyes were _glowing red_ , and long, glinting _fangs_ protruded from their mouths.

Just a single minute ago, Gavin would have laughed in someone’s face if they tried to tell him vampires were real. Now, though, there was no denying the fact that he was watching two battle in a deathmatch, and one of them was his own partner.

With a growl, Nines grabbed the attacker by the shirt and hurled them into a narrow alley between the two buildings beside them, then lunged into the darkness. Gavin could no longer see them, but he could hear them growling and grunting as they fought.

After a minute of scuffling, a pained noise rang out from the alley, then a black blur flew past Gavin and disappeared into the night. He hadn’t seen what it was or exactly where it had gone, though he had taken only two steps after it when a familiar voice reached his ears.

“…Gavin…”

Nines’ voice was weak and quiet, so much so that Gavin almost didn’t hear him. The human thought for a moment that he might have been imagining things, though Nines calling his name was the most realistic part of his night thus far.

Gavin cautiously approached the alleyway Nines had lunged into while fighting their attacker. He half expected the other vampire to jump out from the shadows around him, tackle him again, and drain every ounce of blood from his body, but nothing happened. There was no movement, no noise, no _anything_. Gavin couldn’t even see in the darkness.

The moment he slipped his phone from his pocket and activated the flashlight, Gavin wished he hadn’t. Slumped against the wall in front of him with blood smeared on his hands and arms was Nines. The vampire’s eyebrows were drawn together in a pained expression as one of his hands pressed into his side where his shirt was torn, revealing a deep gash in the skin beneath.

“Nines?” Gavin breathed. He’d stopped mere steps away from his partner, though he hesitated to move any closer. His entire perception of Nines, the know-it-all, inhumanly strong, _annoyingly perfect-faced_ bastard he’d worked with for a year, had changed. Nines wasn’t a human; he was a _goddamn storybook monster_.

Nines clenched his jaw as he recognized the fear and distrust in his partner’s eyes. Even without a light of his own to shine back at Gavin, Nines could see him clearly. Night vision was just one of the many differences between vampires and humans. However, being able to clearly see Gavin’s face at that moment made Nines wish he couldn’t see his partner at all. It made him wish he wasn’t a _vampire_ at all. His muscles clenched as his body tensed, sending a fresh wave of pain radiating from his side.

Gavin’s body moved before the logical part of his brain could tell him to stay back and be cautious. He knelt at Nines’ side, and one hand held his phone out to illuminate his partner’s wound while the other gingerly prodded Nines’ hand aside so he could see the gash clearer. It was deep; _very_ deep.

“Wh-what happened?” Gavin stuttered. He looked up at Nines’ face and noticed that his partner’s eyes had gone back to their usual blue, though they were duller and less _alive_ than he remembered. Gavin’s gut went cold as it crossed his mind that vampires, while technically already dead, could still die. _Nines_ could still die, and the wound on his side might just be capable of killing him.

Nines shifted in a failed attempt to sit up straighter that only caused him more pain. “That other vampire…he’s gone feral. When he attacked you, I knew I had to get him away immediately or he’d kill you before I could stop him. I seemed to have forgotten that feral vampires are much stronger and more unpredictable than those in control of themselves.” His gaze fell to the wound on his side. “I don’t usually lose the fights I occasionally find myself in, though typically there isn’t a human just a few feet away who is dangerously close to being drained by a feral vampire.”

Gavin blinked. “Well, what do I need to do? How- How do I fix this?” he asked, gesturing to the wound on Nines’ side. Weren’t vampires supposed to be fast healers? They seemed to be in many stories, though those same stories said vampires would burst into flames in the sunlight, which had never happened to Nines. Gavin wasn’t sure what to believe anymore.

“My apartment.” Nines bit his lip as he started to try to stand, though he couldn’t move himself an inch with the wound in his side. “I have blood stashed in my fridge. _Animal_ blood, not human blood. If I drink some, this will heal within a few days.”

“And if you don’t?” Gavin asked. “I don’t know where you live, Nines!”

Nines closed his eyes. “If I _don’t_ , I die.”

Silence fell as Gavin glanced between Nines and the entrance to the alley. If Nines gave him the address, he could go there, get the blood, and come back. If it was too far to walk, the precinct was only a few blocks away, and he could go there for his car first.

“Where do you live? I’ll go get the blood for you.”

Nines shook his head slowly. “No, no. You can’t go by yourself. That feral vampire is still out there, and even though I wounded him, there’s no guarantee he’s dead. He could be waiting for you to leave so he can attack you again, especially if he’s trying to heal.”

“Then what the hell am I supposed to do? You can’t even stay upright without leaning against the wall, Nines, let alone walk!” Gavin hissed.

“I’ll have to try,” Nines insisted. He attempted to stand again, slowly leaning forward before trying to plant his feet and transfer his weight onto them. Nines faltered when pain shocked his entire body again and made him fall back against the wall.

Gavin winced at Nines, then ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He couldn’t go to Nines’ apartment alone, but Nines was in no state to go with him. He couldn’t wait for daytime without risking Nines dying in the meantime, or someone seeing the blood on his partner’s clothes and causing a scene. There had to be _something_ he could do, some way to keep Nines alive long enough to move him to his apartment safely.

“You said you need blood, right?”

Nines nodded slowly.

“Bite me.”

“Excuse me?”

Gavin growled and scrubbed his face. “You need blood, and I’m full of it. If it’ll keep you from dying and getting me stuck with some other asshole for a partner, _fine_.”

“No.” Nines’ tone was firm despite his weakness. “I don’t drink human blood.”

“And I don’t let myself become the happy hour special for vampires, but here we fuckin’ are!” Gavin countered. “Now hurry up and do it before I change my fuckin’ mind.”

Nines stared at Gavin in silence. As much as he wanted to refuse, time was running low, and so were their options. After a moment, Nines slouched in defeat. “Give me you arm.”

Gavin held his arm out to Nines with a scowl and fixed his eyes on the wall in front of him as Nines took his arm in gentle hands, turned it so Gavin’s forearm was facing up, and pushed up the sleeve of the human’s jacket.

“You better not rip my fuckin’ arm up, or I’ll kill you myself,” Gavin muttered.

“I’ll be gentle, though I can’t promise it won’t still hurt.”

Gavin shrugged. He didn’t care about _pain_. That, he could handle. His issue was that he wasn’t sure what excuse he could use if he went into work the next day with his arm in tatters.

A sharp pain pricked Gavin’s arm as Nines’ fangs pierced the flesh of his forearm. Gavin hissed and braced his free arm against the wall in front of him the best he could with his phone still in his hand while the pain dulled into an uncomfortable throb that traveled up toward his shoulder until it enveloped his whole arm. He kept his gaze fixed on the wall no matter how much the curiosity in the back of his mind beckoned him to glance at Nines. There was no way in hell he was going to watch his partner _drink his blood like a fuckin’ smoothie or some shit_.

It wasn’t long before Nines pulled away from Gavin’s arm. When Gavin spared his partner a hesitant glance, the vampire hardly looked any better than he had before, but he dropped Gavin’s arm and started to stand instead of drinking more blood. Nines wavered when he reached his feet, and his jaw clenched as his arm tightened around his middle. His legs trembled as he leaned on the wall for support, but he didn’t fall.

Gavin watched warily as Nines took a few hesitant steps towards the exit of the alley. “You sure you’re alright?” he asked.

Nines nodded. “I’ll be able to make it home,” he assured, though he stumbled just a moment later and nearly ran face-first into a brick wall before Gavin caught him.

“No, you won’t.” Gavin held out his arm again, biting back a wince from the throbbing puncture wounds on his forearm. “You already drank my blood once, so there’s no going back from this being awkward as hell. You might as well do it again if it’ll keep you from dying in the middle of the street.”

“It’ll be fine,” Nines insisted. He pushed Gavin’s arm away, and the human rolled his eyes at his partner’s weak façade of strength.

“Fine, whatever, don’t drink my blood again, I don’t care. You’re only walking back to the precinct, though. We’ll pick up my car, and I’ll drive you home from there so I don’t have to deal with some new dipshit for a partner because you were too stubborn to keep yourself alive,” Gavin demanded.

Nines chewed the inside of his cheek with an expression that said he wanted to refuse, but he relented when Gavin stared him down. “Don’t get angry with me if I get blood on your seats.”

“Don’t you fuckin’ dare,” Gavin grumbled. He grabbed Nines’ free arm and slung it over his shoulder, earning himself an alarmed look from his partner. “What? You can hardly walk. There’s no way in hell you’ll make it to the precinct on your own.” Gavin tugged Nines into motion, and the two walked slowly back onto the street as silence fell over them.

-000-

Four near falls during their walk to the precinct, five minutes of figuring out how to keep Nines from getting blood on Gavin’s car seats, and a twenty-minute drive later, Gavin and Nines arrived at Nines’ apartment building. Gavin dragged his partner out of the car, into the building, and to the elevator while glancing around in search of any passersby who might see them and cause a scene at the sight of Nines’ blood. Luckily, no one else was around, not even when they reached Nines’ floor.

“Apartment five fifteen?” Gavin asked as he stopped in front of a plain wooden door with a sticker reading ‘515’ on it. Nines nodded, though it was hard to see with the way his head drooped from exhaustion. “You got your keys?” Nines nodded again.

“…Front right pocket.”

Gavin blinked. He wanted to demand Nines get them himself, though the vampire sagged heavily against his partner’s side as he tried to stay standing. The arm Nines had around Gavin’s shoulders was the only thing keeping him upright, and his other arm remained locked around his middle to try to keep any more of his blood from pouring out.

“Phck…” Gavin growled as he reached into Nines’ pocket and searched for his keys. Considering he’d just let Nines _drink his fucking blood_ half an hour ago, it seemed ridiculous that sticking his hand in his partner’s pocket could be any more awkward. He told himself that until his fingers found the uneven teeth of one of the keys, pulled the set free of Nines’ pocket, and jammed them into the door in front of them.

The moment the door opened, Nines withdrew his arm from around Gavin’s shoulders and staggered to the kitchen, where he tugged open the refrigerator and grabbed one of the dozen metal thermoses inside. He shut the refrigerator door and leaned heavily against it as he twisted the top off the thermos and chugged the contents within.

While Nines drank, Gavin leaned against the kitchen counter and crossed his arms in an attempt to relax. His nerves had been humming ever since the feral vampire attacked him, and watching Nines somehow grow paler with each passing minute had built up anxiety within him. Gavin was so tightly wound up that he wasn’t sure if he even _could_ relax. It was a slow process, but with time, Gavin’s adrenaline faded. It left him tired, no— _exhausted_ , more so than he’d felt in ages. It was as if his body had suddenly tripled in weight, and his legs struggled to support him.

Gavin blinked in a failed attempt to rid himself of the darkness that consumed the edges of his vision. His body was heavy and light at the same time, and he could feel his legs trembling beneath him. He was freezing and burning all at once. He was nauseous. He felt _wrong_.

Nines drained the last of his thermos. He closed his eyes for a moment as he felt his weakness start to fade, and pulled his hand away from his side as the tight feeling of mending flesh squeezed his wound. He was still bleeding slightly, but it wouldn’t be long before that stopped. It would take a few days for his wound to heal completely, though he’d be fine in the meantime as long as he didn’t encounter any more feral vampires.

“Thanks for helping me get h-“ Nines began, though he stopped when Gavin suddenly pitched face-first to the floor. Nines dropped his empty thermos and crossed the small kitchen in two steps. He crouched at Gavin’s side with his lifeless heart in his throat as his fingers pressed into the side of Gavin’s neck in search of a pulse. If Nines breathed, he would have sighed in relief when he felt a steady thump under his fingers. “Gavin?” Nines called.

Gavin was still for a moment, then he shifted and groaned. “I feel like fuckin’ shit,” he mumbled.

Nines picked up Gavin’s arm – the one he’d bit in the alley – and pushed up the sleeve that covered it. He ran his thumb over the punctures in Gavin’s skin with guilt pinching his brow. “I’m sorry,” Nines said quietly. “I tried to drink as little as possible, but it takes more than a few drops of blood to sustain someone with this severe an injury for more than a minute or two.” His fingers brushed the wound on his side.

“You barely drank shit,” Gavin argued as best he could while laying facedown on the floor, unable to move. “I felt fine until a minute ago.”

“Adrenaline is a hell of a drug, and it doesn’t mix well with blood loss. I took more of your blood than you likely realize.” Nines carefully rolled Gavin onto his back while he spoke.

Gavin squinted up at Nines with a scowl. “I’m not a fuckin’ smoothie, asshole.”

Nines smirked. “I know.” He slid an arm under Gavin’s back, and the other under the human’s knees, then picked him up effortlessly and walked the short distance to the living room.

“You asshole fuckin’ vampire and your dumb fuckin’ super strength… I should’ve fuckin’ known from the start.” Gavin’s voice lacked any real anger. Instead, it was dominated by weakness as the room spun around him and grey overtook his vision. As much as he wanted to yell at Nines for making him so ill, he needed a _goddamn nap_. He’d rest first, then get a clove of garlic and shove it down Nines’ throat. Rest, then revenge when he had the energy to do more than mutter.

Nines pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and laid it over Gavin with an amused smile. “Get some rest, and we can talk in the morning,” he offered, though Gavin was already half asleep.

“Goddamn vampire…”


	21. Day 21: Mutual Pining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone, especially Tina, thinks Gavin and Nines are being obvious about their feelings for each other- besides them, of course...and Chris Miller.

It wasn’t often that Gavin fell asleep at the precinct. He was someone who struggled to let his guard down enough to sleep outside of his home despite the crushing burden of sleep deprivation that constantly weighed on his shoulders. The few times Gavin _did_ manage to sleep at work, he didn’t rest for long. Every minute counted for someone as exhausted as him, though.

Gavin and Nines were wrapping up a case when Gavin had one of his rare naps at work. The two had been working day and night for the better part of a week, and while Nines was unaffected by the endless grind of solving their case, Gavin was a human who required sleep to function. After years of living on little rest, Gavin was someone who could keep up with Nines and sleep little. Now that the case had been solved, however, his brain demanded a break.

“Do you want some coffee?” Nines asked Gavin as he watched his partner slump in his seat with his head on his desk. He received a grunt in response, and a small smile quirked up the corners of his lips. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

Tina was in the break room when Nines entered. She watched him with raised eyebrows as he found Gavin’s mug in the cupboard, filled it with coffee, and mixed in the exact amount of cream and sugar his partner liked.

“What’s next? You going to buy him dinner?” Tina teased.

Nines shook his head. “We’ve been working nonstop on our case for days. Gavin’s hardly slept. As much as I’d prefer he go home and rest, we need to finish our paperwork before either of us can leave.” He picked Gavin’s mug up off the counter. “He’s my partner, and it’s my job to help him in any way I can, whether that means keeping him from getting shot by a suspect or making him coffee to keep him awake.”

Tina shrugged. “Whatever you say.”

Instead of entertaining Tina with a response or allowing her to see the way her words made his cheeks flush, Nines left the break room and returned to Gavin’s desk. However, just a step away, he paused.

Gavin had hardly moved since Nines left, though one glance at his partner made the android stop. Gavin’s head was pillowed on his arms, and his body was relaxed. His breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure had all dropped. He was asleep.

Nines crept silently toward Gavin. He set the coffee mug on the desk just out of reach so the detective wouldn’t knock it over when he woke, then set a light hand on Gavin’s back. When Gavin didn’t stir, Nines shrugged off his jacket, then draped it gently over his partner’s shoulders. The ghost of a smile touched his lips as he stepped back, and he allowed himself just a moment to stare. It wasn’t often that Nines got to see Gavin when he was asleep, when the tension that constantly pinched his brow had eased and left him looking peaceful. It was as if the burdens of his years had lifted and the toll they’d taken on his features had been erased.

When it reached the point that Nines would no longer be able to explain away his staring as anything but what he knew it truly was down to the zeroes and ones of his code, he reluctantly tore his gaze away from Gavin and turned to the tablet he’d abandoned on the desk when he left to get his partner’s coffee. There was still work to be done, and while Gavin _was_ resting, it would best if he could go home and get a full night’s sleep. The sooner Nines wrapped up their case, the better, and watching Gavin sleep wouldn’t do anything but slow him down.

Across the precinct, Chris watched Nines over the top of his tablet. The corner of his lips turned up as he watched Nines take off his jacket and lay it over Gavin as the man slept at his desk. _It’s nice to see that they’re finally getting along_ , he thought.

-000-

“Why do you hate him so much?” Tina asked after she downed the remainder of her cocktail. The bar around her, Gavin, and Chris’ table was a loud drone of voices and music.

Gavin rolled his eyes and glared at his empty glass of water. “He’s so goddamn _annoying_ , T. The dude fuckin’ knows _everything_. The other day we were at the scene of the Laurents stabbing, and when I said ‘shit, couldn’t they have stopped after stabbing the poor bastard the millionth time?’ he went and corrected me like, ‘ _actually,_ he was only stabbed forty-two times.’” Gavin clenched his teeth. “Yeah, no shit, asshole. I read the reports, too.”

Chris snorted. “Hey, that isn’t _that_ bad. Besides, you should give him a break. Nines was only activated a few months ago. He’s still learning about your love for sarcasm and hyperbole.”

“If not having a sense of humor was the only bad thing about him, I wouldn’t want to punch him in his _perfect fuckin’ Ken doll face,”_ Gavin growled.

“And _there_ it is.” Tina smirked into her drink. “Androids were made to be perfect, Gavin. Can’t blame the guy for being cute.”

“He isn’t _cute_ ,” Gavin snarled. “He’s _annoying_.”

“How?” Chris asked. He took a sip of his beer, then gestured for his friends to wait a moment so he could speak again. “And I mean how is he _really_ annoying, not how is he annoying to _you_ specifically, because you think everyone and everything is annoying.”

Gavin scrubbed his face. “He just _is_. Every goddamn day he walks in with perfect fuckin’ hair, perfect fuckin’ clothes, looking like he walked out of some dumb fuckin’ commercial. He’s supposed to be a _cop_ , not a walking advertisement for plastic surgery or some shit.”

Tina rolled her eyes. “Just pull the stick out of your ass and admit you think he’s cute.” Gavin shot her a glare.

Chris frowned and sipped his beer again. He knew Gavin got insecure about his appearance at times—not that he’d ever admit to it— though he’d never thought the physical perfection of androids would make the man feel worse. _Hm_. Gavin wasn’t one to get jealous of another person’s appearance, not until Nines, it seemed. For the sake of their partnership, Chris hoped Gavin would overcome his jealousy soon.

-000-

Nines looked up from his tablet and glanced at Gavin. The two were at their desk in the precinct, where Gavin was slouched in his chair while Nines was seated on the desk in his usual place at his partner’s side. The android watched Gavin stare at his computer screen with glazed-over eyes, then he looked away. At that same moment, Gavin’s eyes flickered to Nines.

Gavin watched Nines out of the corner of his eye. He looked at Nines’ bright blue eyes as they narrowed at the tablet in the android’s hand, and the way Nines sat with perfect posture as if he was physically incapable of hunching over. After a moment, Gavin looked away, and Nines’ gaze returned to him.

Back and forth, back and forth. Tina watched with a growing sense of disbelief as her two friends took turns staring at each other with a look of discontent and longing in their eyes, each without noticing that the other had just been staring at them the same way.

There was obliviousness, then there was Gavin Reed and Nines. It was almost painful to watch—no, it _was_ painful to watch. Tina could already feel a headache beginning in her temples.

Once upon a time, Tina had thought _she_ was oblivious. She’d gone two months blind to the fact that Valerie had been flirting with her following the beginning of their friendship. When Tina finally realized her ‘friend’ sounded more flirty than friendly, she’d asked, ‘ _are you…flirting with me?’_ As if her sudden direct question –born from the short-circuit that occurred in her mind at the thought of her _unfairly hot_ ‘friend’ possibly flirting with her— had not been embarrassing enough, Valerie had left Tina wanting to slap herself across the face by replying, _‘have been for the past two months, but thanks for noticing.’_

_This_ , though… Gavin _fuckin’_ Reed and Nines—it was almost _infuriating_. Their angry jabs had turned to playful challenges and thinly-veiled flirting that the other never seemed to notice. A few times, the flirting wasn’t hidden _at all_ , but neither Nines nor Gavin seemed capable of picking up on it. Tina swore one of them could hand the other a cake that said, _I’m deeply in love with you in a romantic way_ , and the other would still believe they were only friends.

As tempting as it was to run up to Gavin and Nines and scream, ‘ _just date already, you absolute morons!’_ Tina kept quiet. Meddling would do no good for either of them. Eventually they’d notice. They would, right? Tina hoped they would. For their sake, and for the sake of her sanity, she _hoped_ they would.

At his desk, Chris squinted at Gavin and Nines. He watched them stare at each other, looking back and forth without their gazes ever meeting. The sight made a knot form in his stomach. After all, there was only one explanation for their behavior… _What did they fight over this time?_


	22. Day 22: Pacific Rim AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin and Nines unexpectedly encounter a category-IV Kaiju while out with two other teams. When Gavin and Nines find themselves in an ill-fated one on one with the Kaiju, they attempt to escape, but Nines isn't able to eject. However, Gavin can, and Nines will do everything he can to ensure his partner escapes alive. Gavin lives, and he wakes to a world where Nines is gone to everyone…except him. Gavin is the only one who can see him. He walks with him and talk with him like he’s still there, but only for Gavin. It is no hallucination. It is an echo of Nines that became part of Gavin in the Drift. One only for him to see.

There wasn’t supposed to be a category-IV Kaiju. They were nowhere _near_ the entrance to the breach. However, it was there, and the Jaegers had no choice but to fight it if any of the pilots wanted a chance to escape alive.

“RaidRiot, don’t go in alone!”

It was too late. The hot-headed pilots within were new to the Jaeger program. They’d only ever faced low-level Kaiju and had no idea what they were getting into, not until the Kaiju tore their Jaeger to pieces and killed them before they could eject.

The two remaining Jaegers kept their distance.

“RKReed, we’ll take its right; you take its left. We’ll attack together.”

“SeaPort, wait. We need a plan. If we just go in there with our guns blazing-“

“That’ll kill it. Doesn’t matter what category that bastard it. If we shoot it enough, it’ll die.”

“SeaPort-“

The SeaPort Jaeger took off, and the RKReed Jaeger followed after a moment of hesitation. The two closed in on the monstrous beast in front of them, one confident and the other wary.

Just as RKReed had predicted, there was no succeeding without a plan. The Kaiju wailed as a hail of bullets and missiles slammed into it, but it didn’t fall. Instead of killing the Kaiju, the attack _aggravated_ it, and with a swing of one bulky limb, it smashed SeaPort to bits.

Before the Kaiju could sentence RKReed to the same fate as the other two Jaegers, it moved away. Inside, the pilots convened in the Drift.

_“Of all the dumbass fuckin’ teams we could have been out with today, it had to be the fuckin’ dumbest!_ ” _Gavin complained._

_“Calm down, Gavin. We won’t win against this thing if we’re too busy bitching to figure out a way to defeat it in a one on one.” Nines’ mind was going at a million miles an hour. He’d been training his whole life to be a Jaeger pilot, raised by the best to be even better. He’d seen combat, and he knew what he had to do. All that was left was crafting a plan._

_Gavin growled. “Would be a hell of a lot easier if we still had two more Jaegers on our side.”_

_“But we don’t and now we need to come up with a way to kill it ourselves.”_

The back and forth between Gavin and Nines didn’t last long. Kaiju were not patient creatures who would sit back and wait for their human opponents to plot against them. They were monsters down to the smallest strands of their DNA, and they would destroy anyone and anything that stood in their path.

_“Watch out!”_

The RKReed narrowly avoided being smashed by the Kaiju when the creature closed in on the Jaeger. Immediately after, Gavin and Nines had to dodge again when the Kaiju turned around and swung at them with lethal intent once more.

The battle against the category-IV Kaiju was not one Gavin and Nines would be able to win, no matter how skilled they were. Even a prodigy and a veteran mentally linked in the powerful RKReed Jaeger were no match for the beast in front of them, and they knew it. Part of them had hoped they might succeed. If only hope was enough.

The first time Gavin and Nines reacted too slowly was the last time they had a chance to escape. Once they were in the Kaiju’s clutches, there was no winning. There was no anything but death as the RKReed folded in the Kaiju’s grip around them.

_“Nines, we gotta’ eject. It might not work, but there’s a chance. If he’s distracted with the Jaeger, we can get out and hide with the debris from RaidRiot and SeaPort.”_

_“That’s a lot of hope, Gavin.”_

_“I hate to say it, but hope is all we have left.”_

_Gavin and Nines made to eject from the RKReed, though Nines froze when one of the necessary triggers refused to budge. Gavin felt his partner’s dread through the Drift, and his heart stopped as his finger hovered over his eject button._

_“Nines? What’s wrong?”_

_Nines was quiet for a moment. “Gavin, I need you to listen to me.”_

_“What are you—We don’t have time to talk, Nines! We gotta’ get out of here before that Kaiju fuckin’ destroys us!”_

_“I can’t.”_

_There was silence._

_“Wait… What do you mean you can’t? Haven’t you been learning how to pilot one of these things your whole life? Did you seriously forget how to eject?” Gavin knew what his partner truly met, but his brain refused to accept it._

_“No, Gavin. I mean I can’t eject. The trigger jammed. Whatever damage the Kaiju has inflicted on RKReed took out part of my ejection system. I’m stuck.”_

_Gavin growled. “Just wait a minute. I’ll figure something out-“_

_“There’s no time-“_

_“NO FUCKING SHIT!” Gavin’s breaths were quick and shallow. He was panicking. He didn’t know what to do or how to help Nines. They had mere seconds to eject before the Kaiju destroyed RKReed, and that wasn’t nearly enough time to come up with a miracle plan that would get Nines out of the Jaeger safely._

_“You have to listen to me, Gavin.”_

_“I don’t have to listen to shit! You can tell me later once we get out of this dumb fuckin’ hunk of metal and back to base!”_

_“I’m not going back to base, and you know it.” Nines paused, awaiting another furious response from his partner, though he got nothing. “You can still eject, and you need to, but I doubt you’ll make it far before the Kaiju stops you. If I set RKReed to self-destruct, though, I might be able to kill it.”_

_“No fuckin’ way. That’ll kill you, Nines.”_

_“I’m already dead, Gavin. I won’t escape, I can’t, but you can.”_

_“I’m not going anywhere, Tin Can. Not without you.”_

_“Yes, you will.”_

_Gavin had no intention of leaving Nines behind. They may be one of the best teams the Jaeger program had ever seen, just as skilled as the infamous Hank Anderson and Connor team, and the loss of them both would cripple the rest of the force, but Gavin wouldn’t leave Nines behind. He couldn’t, not after what they’d been through together. Their relationship had been rocky to start, sure. They had been at each other’s throats for weeks until the faced their first Kaiju together and agreed on an uneasy truce, though that truce had turned into a friendship, and that friendship had stirred something in Gavin. He’d fought it with all his might and did everything he could to hide what he felt from Nines while they were in the Drift and had access to each other’s brains, but it didn’t go away. It only got stronger, and with Nines’ life about to reach its end, the sheer power of Gavin’s overwhelming feelings was tearing him to pieces just like the Kaiju had done to RaidRiot and SeaPort._

_“No. You can’t activate self-destruct alone, anyway. I have to be here too,” Gavin argued._

_Nines said nothing, but he didn’t have to. The red warning light that began to flash in RKReed was enough of a response._

_“Nines, what the hell is this?” Gavin asked. He read the message that appeared in front of him, though it was not a warning about the quickly-deteriorating state of RKReed. It was a countdown to self-destruction._

_“I was raised and trained to pilot a Jaeger, just like you said. That’s how I know things, like the fact that a Jaeger doesn’t actually require two pilots. Most people can’t handle the mental strain of piloting a Jaeger alone, so they need a partner to support them. I am not most people. I was trained to pilot solo, as well as part of a team. I know how to take full control of a Jaeger whether I have a copilot or not.”_

_Gavin gaped. “Wait! Nines-“ He stopped when a wall of memories flooded him through the drift. Decades worth of existence filled every corner of his head with images of faces, some familiar and others foreign. He didn’t know what was happening, but Nines gave him no explanation. Instead, Nines ejected his partner from RKReed with a goodbye Gavin would never recover from._

_“I love you, too.”_

_RKReed exploded just after Gavin was hurled from it. The Kaiju went up in smoke, and the blast rocked Gavin’s pod hard enough to steal his consciousness._

-000-

Gavin’s first awakening had been a haze. He was conscious for hardly a minute, and the voice around him had been too garbled to understand. All he could do was try to speak in a raspy, weak voice.

“Nines…?”

-000-

It had been a week. It had been a week since Nines took control of the RKReed, ejected Gavin, then blew up their Jaeger while still inside. It had been a week since Nines died, since Nines took a category-IV Kaiju with him, since a support team found Gavin’s pod in the water and brought him back to base for medical attention.

“He’s gone, Gavin.”

Those words. Those goddamn words were the only ones Gavin heard. Friends, colleagues, and superiors said the same fuckin’ thing left and right. It got worse when Gavin woke up one day and saw Nines standing next to him. His partner had said nothing when Gavin called out to him, and when a doctor had come in to check on Gavin, they followed his gaze to an empty space. There was no one there, they told him. He’s gone, they told him.

For a whole week, Gavin had no idea what had happened, or why he could see Nines. His partner had hovered silently around his cot in the infirmary until he was released, then in the quiet of the room they shared on base, Nines explained everything.

He was dead. Nines had in fact died when RKReed exploded. His physical body was gone. However, that flood of memories Gavin received just before being ejected hadn’t been a glitch in the Drift like he’d thought. It had been an intention of Nines’.

“Hold up,” Gavin interrupted. “You’re telling me that you used the Drift to copy the _entire_ contents of your brain into mine? And now I’m the only one who can see you because you’re only in _my_ head, and it’s not because I’m crazy?”

Nines nodded. “That is another possible utilization of the Drift. It creates a mental link between the pilots, though that link goes much deeper than most people believe. I was able to copy my consciousness into yours, so even though I’m dead, I still exist within you, and I am very much alive there.”

“Would anyone believe me if I told them that?”

“The true powers of the Drift are kept from most people, so they will continue to think you must’ve received serious brain damage when RKReed exploded and are in denial over my death. However, there are those in the highest ranks who know the possibilities of the Drift as well as I do, and they would believe you without question.”

Gavin sighed and scrubbed his face. “Fuckin’ great.” He dropped lazily onto his bunk and stared down at his feet with his brow furrowed. “Why did you do it, anyway? Put yourself in my brain, I mean.”

Nines took a moment to think before he spoke. “I suppose the simplest explanation is that I didn’t want to leave you alone,” he admitted. “Recently, I overheard you talking to Tina. She mentioned something about how Valerie worries she might get hurt while fighting in the Jaegers. You said you worried about the same thing, though you weren’t as afraid as Valerie because, if we got caught by a Kaiju, it would kill us both. You said you found that reassuring because that meant one of us wouldn’t be left behind.” Nines’ face grew somber. “When that Kaiju caught us, I remembered. I remembered that you’ve been left behind more times than you could count, and I was someone who finally _stayed_. I couldn’t just leave you behind like everyone else. Plus…” he trailed off.

“Plus?” Gavin prompted.

“Plus…I know how you feel about me. I’ve known for a while, but I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to push you. Then I ran out of time, and we couldn’t talk about it.” Nines paused. “I wanted more time, Gavin, and this was the only way I could do it.”

Silence fell in the room, and it lasted for nearly a minute before Gavin finally broke it.

“I… I wanted more time, too,” he admitted. “I thought we’d have until the day the Kaiju wiped every human off the face of the Earth.” A pained chuckle clawed its way out of Gavin’s throat. “I guess we don’t always get what we want, do we?”

Nines shook his head, then crossed the room to sit at Gavin’s side. The bunk didn’t creak beneath him, and when his hand touched Gavin’s shoulder, it phased through it.

All Gavin could feel when Nines touched him was a slight warmth where his partner’s fingers phased through his skin, though that wasn’t enough to thaw the frozen void in his chest as he saw how much had been taken from him. Nines was still alive, but only in Gavin’s head. No one else could see or hear him, and if anyone caught Gavin talking to his dead partner, they’d think he was crazy. While Nines was visible to Gavin, they couldn’t touch, as Nines had no physical form. It was like a curse that taunted Gavin with the things he wanted but couldn’t have.

Gavin watched Nines out of the corner of his eyes with a lump in his throat as he tried to determine if he was grateful for Nines staying with him in his new form, or if it would have hurt less had every part of Nines died in the RKReed.


	23. Day 23: Fake Dating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin is invited to an old friend's wedding, but there's one problem; his friend thinks he's in a relationship and wants him to bring his partner. Out of options, Gavin turns to the one person who isn't busy and who he can pretend to be with. It's just one day. Just one act. What could possibly come from that?

He should have said he was busy. There was always another murder to investigate, or a robbery, or _something_ that Gavin could have claimed required his immediate attention. However, when one of the few friends from his younger years who he still spoke to invited him to their wedding, Gavin hadn’t refused. He should have. He _really_ should have. If he had, he wouldn’t be staring at his very short list of contacts at three in the morning trying to decide who to bring to the wedding as his plus one.

If he was being honest, Gavin had no problem with _going_ to his friend’s wedding. While he didn’t see them often, they were a good person who treated him well. Gavin was happy for his friend. The problem was that he’d panicked when his friend asked if he was seeing anyone and he’d said yes, then they oh-so-kindly had told him he could bring his partner as his plus one, as they would love to meet them.

For a moment, Gavin almost considered going alone and saying his partner couldn’t make it, that _they_ were busy with work, though he quickly realized his friend would probably ask where his partner worked. Trying to lie his way out of the situation would do nothing but deepen the hole Gavin was already stuck in, and he didn’t want his friend to discover that he was lying to them through his teeth on their _wedding day_ , of all things.

Gavin blinked his thoughts away and turned his attention back to his phone. At the top of his contacts was Chris. Chris was a friendly guy, and while Gavin had no interest in him romantically, it wouldn’t kill him to pretend they were boyfriends for a night. However, not only was Chris stuck on a tough case that required his full attention, he was also an _awful_ liar. Even if Gavin did all the talking, Chris would likely blow their cover within twenty minutes of arriving at the wedding.

With Chris off the table, Gavin continued down his list of contacts. Tina. She could be gruff and sarcastic just like Gavin was, and they’d make a convincing couple. She was likely one of the best candidates for a fake partner. Tina could make up a convincing lie on the spot, and she was someone Gavin trusted immensely. He could count on her, and at worst, he’d owe her coffee for a month in payment. Unfortunately, Tina was gay. _Very, very_ gay, and _very, very_ married. She could tolerate holding his hand for a few minutes at a time when needed, but she definitely would _not_ be down for an awkward cheek kiss if the situation called for it. Also, Gavin didn’t want Valerie to show up, murder him, and storm out with her wife in tow.

Not Chris, not Tina, _definitely_ not Fowler or Hank. Connor _was_ an option, though Gavin didn’t think he _himself_ could tolerate pretending to be in love with the android. They no longer hated each other, but they were friends at best. No one would believe they were together, not for a second.

Gavin tensed at the last person on his list of contacts. _No_. _No fucking way_. He would _not_. He would _never_. Except, there was no one else. Asking any other person wasn’t feasible, and maybe, just _maybe_ he could pull this off.

“Just one night,” Gavin muttered to himself as he set down his phone and flopped back on his bed. He could wait until morning—or better yet, until after work. _Then_ he’d deal with the mess he was in. Finding a fake date could be a problem for future Gavin.

“Just one night.”

-000-

Gavin leaned back in his chair at the precinct and stretched his aching spine as he submitted his last document. He and Nines had been stuck finishing paperwork for their most recent case for the last three days. The document he’d just submitted had been the last, bar the one Nines was still working on where he was perched on Gavin’s desk.

“If you’re done, you should go home and rest. Your caffeine intake for the day was higher than usual, and the shadows under your eyes are visibly darker than they have been recently. You need sleep,” Nines insisted without looking up from his tablet.

“I’m fine,” Gavin countered. “And stop fuckin’ scanning me.”

“I’ll stop scanning you when you stop giving me reasons to do it.”

“Asshole.”

“Insulting me doesn’t make me less right, Gavin.”

Gavin rolled his eyes and glanced across the precinct at Tina. Maybe he _could_ convince her to be his fake date. Even risking Valerie’s wrath was more appealing than the plan Gavin had in mind.

A creak of protest from Gavin’s desk drew his attention back to Nines, who had set his tablet down and stood.

“You done, Tin Can?” Gavin asked. When Nines nodded, Gavin got to his feet and collected his things from his desk. Wallet, keys, phone. Gavin patted his pockets to make sure he had everything, then started for the exit with Nines on his heels.

It was dark when Gavin and Nines stepped outside, and Gavin suppressed a shiver. The weather was starting to get too cold for his usual hoodie alone.

“Goodnight, Gavin. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Nines said as he started toward the street.

“Wait.”

Nines paused and glanced back at Gavin, who was staring at the ground. The detective scratched at the back of his head roughly and sighed as he tried to work himself up to the point that he could say what he needed to.

“I need you to do me a favor,” Gavin said. He didn’t lift his eyes off the ground as he spoke, refusing to meet Nines’ gaze.

“What’s that?”

Gavin turned away, set his hands on his hips, looked up, looked down, then turned back to face Nines again. “One of my buddies is getting married this weekend, and I need someone to go to their wedding with me.” Gavin finally looked up and met Nines’ unsure gaze. “They’re expecting me to bring a date.”

Nines frowned. “I’m sure either Chris or Tina would be willing to help you if you asked.”

“No.” Gavin shook his head. “Chris is caught up in a case, and I don’t need Valerie ruining the wedding by storming in to kill me and take her wife back,” he explained. “And before you say it, there’s no way in _hell_ I’m asking Connor to go with me. No one would believe for a _second_ that he’s my boyfriend.”

“Then…” Nines paused, his LED yellow. “Who do you plan to go with?”

Gavin rolled his eyes. “As much as I don’t want to, I was _planning_ to bring _you_ with me. As my date.”

“…Why?”

“Phckin’-“ Gavin scrubbed his face. “Considering we’re partners at work, I can tolerate your existence long enough to survive a damn wedding without us trying to kill each other. _And_ you don’t have a scary wife who’ll kill me. Look, I don’t like it, either, but I’m kind of out of options, and I don’t feel like standing in a corner by myself for four hours.”

Nines was quiet for a moment, and Gavin almost expected him to refuse and leave without another word. However, he stayed, even as his LED flashed red on the side of his head.

“What should I wear?”

Gavin blinked and whipped his gaze to Nines, who was staring at him with an expectant look on his face. The detective had expected to do a little more arguing and bribing before Nines would agree to go with him. His brain was struggling to catch up as he found himself skipping past the back and forth he’d preplanned in his head earlier that day.

“Uh, just, y’know… Suit and tie? Something nice? If you aren’t sure, just search it on google, or whatever search engine you have installed in your brain,” Gavin grumbled. His face was starting to get hot, so he shoved his hands into his pockets and turned away. “I’ll text you the details later,” he said over his shoulder as he stormed toward the parking lot before Nines could notice his body temperature rising.

-000-

Saturday morning, Gavin was pacing his apartment in a crisp navy-blue suit as he waited for Nines to arrive. He’d told his partner to arrive by ten o’clock so they could get to the venue before eleven, since the wedding started at eleven-thirty.

At ten o’clock on the dot, someone knocked on the door. Gavin ripped it open, then froze. It took every ounce of cognitive function he could scrape together to prevent his mouth from hanging open

Nines stood in the doorway wearing a charcoal suit. His hair was just as neat as he usually kept it, though something about him seemed impossibly more polished than usual. He looked Gavin over with a small nod that pulled his partner out of his stupor.

“About fuckin’ time,” Gavin growled.

Nines stepped aside as Gavin exited his apartment and started toward the elevator. During the whole walk out to his car, Gavin looked at anything but Nines so he wouldn’t end up staring again.

-000-

Gavin and Nines arrived at the venue only a few minutes earlier than originally planned. Gavin’s car rolled to a stop outside the small church as he parked, though before he could get out, Nines’ hand on his arm stopped him.

“What?” Gavin asked with a little too much irritation that he regretted when he noticed Nines’ glaring red LED.

The android stared out the passenger window uneasily as he reached up and touched his LED. “Will it be a problem?” he asked. “That I’m an android?”

Gavin frowned and shook his head. “What? No. No, it’s fine,” he assured. His voice was softer than he intended it to be as he noticed the faint discomfort in his partner’s expression. “These guys are fine with androids. If they weren’t, I wouldn’t have asked you to come with me.”

Nines nodded slowly, then after a moment of hesitation, climbed out of the car.

The pair entered the church side by side and were instantly bombarded by voices. The inside was packed with clusters of people in skirts, dresses, and suits who talked excited amongst each other.

Gavin fought the urge to turn on his heel and walk out at the sight of the crowd in front of him as he scanned the sea of faces for any familiar ones. There were many people he didn’t know; friends of his friend who he’d never met seemed to make up most of the guest list, and Gavin’s palms grew clammy as he failed to recognize anyone.

“Gavin? Gavin Reed?”

Gavin and Nines both turned to their left, where a short, plump woman was approaching them with wide eyes. She wore a pink dress and lipstick of the same shade that curled into a smile with her lips as she opened her arms and wrapped Gavin in a tight hug. If it was anyone else, Gavin would have shrugged them off. This woman, however, had only every been kind to him, and he was willing to tolerate the proximity for her sake.

“Hey, Molly,” Gavin greeted as the woman pulled away from him. He fought to keep a polite smile on his face as Molly looked him up and down and brushed the faintest speck of dust off the lapels of his suit jacket.

“It’s been so long, Gavin! I was so excited when Jax told his father and I that you were coming!” Molly said. “You couldn’t imagine my surprise when he told me you were bringing a date, too!”

Nines stood ramrod straight as Molly looked him up and down, nervously watching the woman until she met his gaze and grinned.

“What a handsome young man! What is your name?” Molly asked.

Nines blinked. He opened his mouth to speak, though no words came out. His LED was bright red like the error messages that flashed in his vision.

When Nines failed to respond, Molly glanced at his LED, then frowned. “Are you feeling okay, honey? Your light is red. Is something wrong?” she asked. Her tone was drenched in concern, and it lacked any trace of the hostility Nines had expected he might receive from those who had been close to Gavin before his view on androids changed for the better.

Gavin set a hand on Nines’ shoulder, then stepped closer to Nines’ side to draw Molly’s attention away from his partner. “This is Nines. He’s just… He’s never been good with crowds, kind of like me,” the detective explained.

“Oh! I’m sorry, dear,” Molly said to Nines. She surprised him by reaching up to push back a stray hair that had fallen out of place, straightening his tie, then smoothing non-existent wrinkles out of his suit jacket. When she was done, she stepped back and nodded in approval before lightly taking one of his hands between both of her own. “You look wonderful, Nines, and we’re overjoyed to have you here. It was a pleasure to meet you, and I’m happy to see Gavin with such a dashing young man.”

Nines smiled, and his LED turned back to blue as he glanced down at his and Molly’s hands. “Thank you, ma’am, and I’m happy to be here. I’ve never been to a wedding before.”

Molly grinned and winked. “It’s an exciting time, Nines. I hope it gives you an idea of what to expect if you find yourself engaged anytime soon.” She glanced at Gavin, gently patted Nines’ hand, then dropped it and waved goodbye to the two men in front of her before hustling toward the chapel. Behind her, Nines and Gavin watched her go with pink cheeks.

Gavin huffed and started toward the chapel with only a momentary glance back at Nines. “Let…Let’s just go sit down.”

Nines followed without argument as his fans whirred at top speed to cool his burning thirium.

-000-

The ceremony passed in a blur. Gavin and Nines watched from the pews as the happy couple was married, Gavin watching his friend smile nervously throughout the entire ceremony while Nines took in every word and action of an experience entirely foreign to him.

When the ceremony was over and everyone moved outside to where tables full of food and gentle music awaited them, Gavin and Nines stood away from the crowd. Gavin was in desperate need of a cigarette, though he’d left them all at home. It didn’t feel right to smoke at a wedding, especially when some of the guests were young kids who didn’t need to inhale the toxins that Gavin blew into the air with each puff.

“Hey, Gavin!”

Gavin looked up to see the newly-wedded couple making a beeline for him. He recognized his friend, Jax, and their new wife, Nayeli.

Jax parted from their wife for only a second, just long enough to clap Gavin’s shoulder and give him a light side-hug. “Long time, no see, Gavin! You’ve met my lovely wife, Nayeli,” they said with a gesture to the woman at their side.

“It’s nice to see you again, Gavin,” Nayeli greeted.

“Likewise,” Gavin agreed. When he saw Jax and Nayeli glance at Nines, he sidestepped toward his partner and took his hand after a moment of hesitation. Ignoring the way Nines tensed in surprise when their finger tangled together, Gavin nodded toward his partner. “This is Nines. He’s my…boyfriend.”

Jax nodded and smiled warmly at Nines. “Nice to meet you Nines.” They looked him over, then exchanged glances with Nayeli before looking at Gavin. “Not to be rude, but…how the hell did you get your hands on a guy this hot?”

Nines made a strangled noise while Gavin choked on air. “Are you fuckin’ kidding me, Jax? I introduce you to my boyfriend, and that’s your first question? You aren’t even into guys!”

“I’m not,” Jax confirmed, “and neither is she.” They nodded toward Nayeli. “We aren’t blind, though.” Jax looked at Nines and winced when they noticed his red LED. “Sorry, Nines. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’m just teasing Gavin,” they apologized.

Nines nodded. “It’s okay. I do that a lot myself, too.”

“Really?” Jax smirked. “So, can I ask how you and Gavin met?”

“We’re partners at work.”

“Oh? For how long?”

“About a year, now.”

Jax blinked, then looked at Gavin. “You’ve had the same partner for a _year_ after over a _decade_ of chasing people away within _weeks_ , and you didn’t _tell me_?”

Gavin shrugged. “Honestly, everyone was taking bets on how many days it would take for us to finally snap and kill each other. We got partnered up right after the revolution, and I wasn’t exactly pro-android back then, so…” he trailed off. There was an awkward pause. “Anyway, he managed to make me less of an asshole, and here we are.” Gavin lifted their clasped hands to prove his point.

“Good to hear,” Jax said with a nod. “You been together for long?”

“A few months,” Nines replied. He sounded convincing even though he’d pulled his words from thin air.

Jax opened their mouth to say something else, then paused when Nayeli tugged on their arm. “Jax, your mother is looking for us,” she said with a nod at the crowd of people behind them. Sure enough, Molly was frantically running in circles as she searched for her child and daughter-in-law.

“Shit.” Jax gave Nines and Gavin an apologetic smile. “We’ve got to go. Thanks for coming, both of you, and make sure you stay for the dancing!”

Jax and Nayeli left before Gavin or Nines could question them, and the remaining pair exchanged looks of alarm.

“I…was not created with a program for dancing,” Nines said.

“Don’t worry, we aren’t dancing,” Gavin growled. “We’ll hang around for at least another hour, then we can bail. As much as I don’t want to be here, I’m not leaving too soon and upsetting Jax and Nayeli. They’re good people.”

Nines nodded. He could do that. The wedding itself wasn’t _that_ awful. And as long as he didn’t have to dance, he could stand staying a little longer.

The two reluctantly returned to the crowd, neither realizing that their hands were still clasped together even though no one was watching.

-000-

When Nayeli threw her bouquet, both Gavin and Nines were nowhere near the target zone. However, just as she was anything _but_ straight, she couldn’t _throw_ straight to save her life, either. The bouquet sailed over those who strained to catch it and smacked directly into Gavin’s face. While Jax and Nayeli were doubled over laughing, Gavin glared at the bouquet in his hands until Nines took it from him. The android plucked out one of the synthetic orange flowers, tucked it behind Gavin’s ear with a smirk, then handed the rest of the flowers back.

Both pretended their faces weren’t hot, and both told themselves that it was all part of the ‘fake boyfriends’ act.

-000-

When music overcame the sounds of the guests and Jax and Nayeli took the center of attention as they shared the first dance, Gavin and Nines found themselves too close to the designated ‘dance floor’ for comfort. They tried to edge away, but stopped when they caught Molly eyeing them with a grin on her face.

“Two minutes. Just to make Molly happy,” Gavin muttered under his breath.

When the first song ended, the crowd paired off to join the newlyweds in dancing. Nines and Gavin shuffled uncomfortably into the open space within the ring of spectators as a smooth, slow song began.

“Copy how everyone else is moving,” Gavin whispered as he laced their fingers together and shuffled toward Nines until they were mere inches apart. He noticed the nearly imperceptible swivel of Nines’ head as the android activated his scanners and watched the movements of the others in the room.

After a moment, Nines suddenly closed the small gap between them, pulled Gavin’s arms around his neck, then settled his hands on Gavin’s waist.

“ _What the phck are you-_ “

“I’m copying the others.”

Nines wasn’t _wrong_. If they wanted people to think they were a couple, they had to act like one, and every other pair in the room was dancing as closely as they were. Gavin couldn’t pull away no matter how bad he thought he wanted to. All the detective could do was drop his head on Nines’ shoulder to hide his flushed face, though his body temperature rose again when Nines bowed his head and his cheek pressed lightly against the side of Gavin’s head.

 _“When this song is over, we’re leaving_ ,” Gavin hissed quietly enough that only Nines could hear him.

After eight songs, the pair had yet to part even though there were no prying eyes watching them that needed to be convinced that they were together. They could pretend all they wanted, but the truth was that their ‘fake boyfriends’ plan had quickly become far less of an act than it was meant to be.


	24. Day 24: Alternate Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nines is unable to wake himself after being attacked by Ada, and CyberLife doesn't know how to fix him. Desperate to save his partner, Gavin risks it all in a confrontation with Ada- not to capture or kill her, rather to deviate her, in hopes that she will have a change of heart and help him save Nines. After all, Ada is the one who broke Nines, and she may be the only one who can fix him. The chances that his plan will work are slim, and there’s no guarantee that Ada will deviate, let alone decide to help Gavin, but it is all he can do, and Gavin will do anything if it means he might be able to get Nines back

_“It’s hard to tell what will happen to Nines. His operating system is too damaged for us to repair successfully. Even if we tried, it would take months, and we may not be able to find every piece of him, so he may not be the Nines you remember. The only way we can guarantee he will be the same person he was is to let him wake up on his own, though you must prepare yourself for the possibility that he may not be able to do so.”_

Dr. Maria’s words haunted Gavin like the nightmares that kept him awake every night, but unlike those nightmares of a terrifying scenario that hadn’t unfolded, Nines’ situation was real. His software had been torn apart by Ada. He was motionless in the CyberLife lab. He wouldn’t open his eyes no matter how many times Gavin asked, or even when Gavin pleaded. Nines was beyond the reach of anyone and anything that wanted to save him.

“Gavin, look, I know you want to help Nines, but I don’t know that there’s anything else we can do.” We may just have to wait for CyberLife to figure this out,” Chris said.

Gavin shook his head. “No. I know we can’t wake him up, but we can still find Ada ourselves.” He paused and glanced down at the computer on the desk in front of him. “At first, I assumed she’d already installed the stolen parts onto herself, but the more I think about it, she’s building a new, _separate_ body to transfer herself into now that she has Nines’ operating system. Why do the software last, otherwise?”

Chris sighed and stretched his arms over his head. “Okay, so if she’s built a body, then where is it? I mean, she wouldn’t be stupid enough to leave it at Jericho.”

“I ran facial recognition on all of Detroit’s speed cameras.” Gavin pulled up the images he’d found for Chris to see. “Even androids can’t hack ‘em. She showed up on four, about an hour ago, all in the shipping district.”

“Okay, that’s a ten-mile radius. Uh-“ Chris paused and dropped his hands loudly on the table. “Can you…do a scan based on deeds? Let’s see if she owns any of the buildings.”

“Tried that first. Nothing came up.”

“Okay then, what do you wanna’ do? You wanna’ go knock on houses door to door?”

Gavin shook his head. “No. No, there has to be _something_ I’m missing, something that’ll lead us right to her.”

“Did you find anything?”

Gavin and Chris both turned their heads toward the door. Tina entered the room alone with puffy red eyes that her friends pretended not to notice.

“Not enough to act on,” Gavin said. His gaze fell to the ground as he struggled to ask the question that had been burning in his mind since he left CyberLife. “Nines…Did CyberLife say anything else about him yet?”

Tina’s expression turned somber, and she shook her head slowly. “They’re running some tests, but…”

Gavin clenched his jaw, then dragged his attention back to the computer in front of him. “I found Ada on four speed cameras in the shipping district, but we don’t know exactly where she is,” he explained to Tina as she crossed the room to look at his computer over his shoulder. “We think she made herself a new body out of the stolen parts, and plans to transfer herself into it, but we don’t know where she’s keeping it.”

Tina nodded, then frowned. “Wait, if she wanted to enter a new body, wouldn’t she need to power it up, first? I mean, she didn’t go through the trouble of stealing Nines’ software just to end up trapped in a nonfunctional body.”

“What does that have to do with finding Ada?” Chris asked.

“Electricity,” Tina answered. “She needs power to juice up her new body before transferring into it. The shipping district has a lot of dead zones and low power areas, but if she wants to juice up her new body, she needs to be close to a major electricity source, or she won’t have enough power.”

Gavin narrowed his eyes and opened his computer’s browser. Within seconds, he was in the massive archive of android information published by CyberLife after the revolution. “Tina’s right. Ada needs a hell of a lot of wattage to jumpstart that body,” he agreed. Gavin turned his attention to a map of Detroit’s shipping district that included the underground power lines. He, Tina, and Chris stared at his computer screen as they searched for buildings that had access to enough power for Ada to power up her new body. There was only one.

“There she is,” Tina said coolly.

“We take her down tonight, but first, we need a plan,” Gavin said. “Even if we barge in with our guns blazing, she’s got Nines’ code and the combat skills he was programmed with. She could take out all three of us and get away before we could so much as call for backup.”

Chris sighed and rubbed his face. “This is a great time for CyberLife to figure out how to fix Nines. Do you think those tests might show them a way to put his operating system back together?”

Tina shrugged. “Before I left, I talked to Dr. Maria again. She told me part of the problem was that they don’t know exactly _what_ Ada did to him. I mean, they know she copied his operating system and part of her was copied over to him in return, but they don’t know where and how deep she probed his software. Even if they piece Nines’ operating system back together, they don’t know where to start.”

“But Ada does.”

Chris and Tina’s attention snapped to Gavin, whose gaze was glued to Ada’s location in the shipping district.

“ _What_ exactly are you trying to say there, Gavin?” Chris asked. “Because it sounded a hell of a lot like you think CyberLife could just ask Ada how to fix Nines and she’d happily tell them, and we all know there’s no way in hell she’d do that.”

“Not the Ada we’re dealing with now, no, because she’s not a deviant.”

Chris blinked. “I thought _all_ androids were deviants.”

Tina nodded. “So did I, but she was activated so long ago… Dr. Maria said Ada was created to evolve no matter the circumstance, and that’s what she’s doing right now. She’s following her programming. Maybe she never deviated, but everyone _assumed_ she was deviant because all other known androids are.”

Chris raised his eyebrows. “O-kay. Then, let’s say you two are right and Ada isn’t a deviant. How do we know she’ll feel like helping Nines as a deviant? She hardly knows him, and she was only ever interested in him for his code.”

“Because Nines was meant to be like her, but he changed.” Gavin stared at his hands, rubbing at the memory of his partner’s fingers between his. “He was programmed to be ruthless, just like Ada, but he changed. Even during his first few weeks as a detective, he knew how to hurt people, but he didn’t. If we can deviate Ada, she might have the same change of heart as him, and she might be willing to help him,” he explained.

Tina nodded. “Now we just need to figure out _how_ to deviate her. I thought only other deviants could cause deviation.”

“It’s the most common method, but not the only one.” Gavin looked between his friends. “You guys remember what happened with Connor. He was a machine when he first got paired with Hank, and he didn’t care if deviants died or not as long as he succeeded in his mission. By the revolution, though, he was making his own choices. He _learned_ how to be human.”

“Even if Ada can ‘learn’ the same way Connor did, it’ll take too long. We need to deviate her _tonight_ , not next month,” Chris challenged.

“And that’s where the other method comes in,” Gavin countered. “Connor and Markus were two examples of androids who ‘learned’ deviancy. They started becoming more human-like slowly over time before something pushed them over the edge. For most deviants, thought, it was a shock. It was emotions and trauma that brought them to life. If we can find a way to shock Ada, she might deviate.”

Tina frowned. “Any idea how to do that? It’s not like she’s close to anyone or anything we could use against her.”

“Leave that to me. I’ll figure something out. For now, we have to get to Ada before she transfers into her new body.” Gavin stood. “Let’s go.”

-000-

Tina stopped her squad car outside the warehouse she, Gavin, and Chris had identified as Ada’s hideout.

“You two go in. I’ll stay here, and if I hear _anything_ , I’ll call for backup,” Tina said.

“Thanks, T,” Gavin responded with a nod before he looked to Chris. “Remember, give me a chance to talk to her. Don’t shoot unless you have to.”

Chris nodded slowly. “I’ve already shot too many androids, Gavin. I don’t plan to add another to the list unless its either her or you.”

Without another word, Gavin and Chris ventured inside. They walked slowly and silently into the warehouse, then paused when they peeked around a corner and caught sight of Ada. The two watched as she stood hunched over a computer next to a figure hidden by a tarp; her new body.

Gavin and Chris stepped back from the corner and crouched side-by-side.

“I’ll confront her alone. I want you to stay back and keep an eye on her _and_ the new body. Make sure it doesn’t finish calibrating in case this doesn’t work and she tries to get away,” Gavin said, earning a nod from Chris.

When Gavin moved to reveal himself, he was stopped by Chris’ hand on his shoulder. His friend fixed him with a hard, serious stare. “Be careful, Gavin,” Chris said. “I know you want to help Nines, but there’s no guarantee this’ll work. We already lost Nines today. Don’t make us lose you, too.”

Gavin set his hand over Chris’ on his shoulder and nodded, then he stood and walked out to where Ada could see him.

“Nice to see you again. How’s my partner’s operating system working out for you?”

Ada whirled around at the sound of Gavi’s voice and narrowed her eyes at him in disgust. “That is of no concern to you, _human_ ,” she hissed.

Gavin wandered towards Ada slowly and casually as if he was relaxed, though he knew she could see his heart racing in his scan. “My partner is _dying_ because of you, so it _is_ my concern,” he argued. “And I’m here to offer you a deal.”

Ada paused. She watched Gavin with distrust in her eyes as the human stopped just out of her reach.

“We know you killed all those androids, Ada. With all that thirium on your hands, there’s no _way_ you’ll see the sun after we arrest you and you’re charged for your crimes.“ Gavin paused to gauge Ada’s reaction, though she gave away nothing. “ _But_ , only a few of us know that _you_ are the killer. We _could_ arrest you, or we could let you go if you’re willing to do me a little favor.” Gavin’s fingers itched to twitch toward his sidearm, but he kept them still as he stared Ada down. “If you can fix Nines, I’ll let you go. I’ll throw away anything and everything that so much as suggests that you could be involved with all those murders. You’ll be free to do whatever the hell you want, and all you have to do is reverse whatever the hell you did that fucked up Nines.”

Ada was silent as she returned Gavin’s stare. Her face didn’t change, and for a moment, it seemed she might cooperate. Then, she scowled. “I have no intention of helping you, or Nines,” she hissed. “If I wish to escape, I can do it on my own terms.”

Gavin didn’t have time to react before Ada attacked. Her hand was on his throat before he could blink, then she sent him flying effortlessly across the room before she turned back to her body. It was almost fully calibrated.

While Ada was focused on Gavin, who stubbornly stood from where he’d been thrown and charged her, a loud _‘bang’_ rang out through the room. Chris stood at the entrance to the room with his gun out, and behind Ada and Gavin, the computer calibrating Ada’s new body was in pieces. Bullseye. The calibration of the new body had been stopped too early, and Ada wouldn’t be able to transfer herself into it.

With two humans after her and her new body ruined, Ada saw no reason to stay. She _could_ just kill the humans, but there was too much evidence of her presence in the room. When the other police came and found two dead officers as well as body parts of dozens of murdered androids, her chances of escape would be slim. Killing Gavin Reed and Chris Miller was not worth the risk.

Before Gavin or Chris could catch her, Ada ran. She darted for the back exit of the building, then sprinted through the night. She cursed when she looked behind her with her scanners activated and detected two heat signatures on her trail.

Ada wound down alleys and streets, pushing her body to stay in motion as she tried to shake Gavin and Chris. At one point, one of the two faltered, though the other continued on. He gained on Ada slowly until she could see Gavin getting closer with a glance to her back. Her current body wasn’t strong enough to run forever. He would catch her soon if she couldn’t find a way to escape.

A crane caught Ada’s attention and gave her an idea. Unlike androids, humans were very fragile. Once they died, there was no bringing them back. An android, however, could be reactivated after repairs as long as their systems remained intact upon death. If Ada fell from a deadly height, it wouldn’t be the end for her, though if _Gavin_ fell, it would be the end of him.

Ada turned abruptly and made a beeline for the crane. The incline was gradual enough that she was able to run up the beams that made up the bar with minimal assistance from her hands. She climbed until she was at a decent height, then glanced back to see where Gavin was. To her surprise, after a moment of hesitation, he began to climb after him.

“Why,” she whispered to herself as she continued to climb. Why would Gavin take such a risk? What was it that compelled him to follow her when one wrong move would send him falling to his death? Was it Nines? Did he truly value his partner so much that he was willing to risk death for a chance to save Nines? Even after the fights they’d had which Ada had seen, and likely countless others that she hadn’t? Ada didn’t understand. Humans and their attachments… She would never understand. She didn’t need to, and she didn’t want to, either.

The end of the crane’s arm was closing in, and Ada reached it within minutes. She looked down and saw Gavin closing in on her. She was trapped. There was nowhere to go.

Gavin stopped mere feet away from Ada, who glared at him from the very end of the crane arm.

“Ada, this is your last chance. Come with me, save Nines, and I’ll let you go. I promise,” Gavin said.

“I don’t need your promises, human,” Ada spat. She edged backwards until her heels hung off the edge of the crane. “Perhaps you shouldn’t have gotten so attached to Nines. Maybe then, you wouldn’t be a hundred feet off the ground risking your single chance at life all for the sake of someone else like a fool.”

Gavin shrugged. “You can call me stupid all you want; I’m not letting you get away until I have Nines back.”

Ada smirked. “If you want to live, then yes, you will.” She stepped back into thin air and let her body tip off the edge of the crane. The ground was over a hundred feet below, and it was unlikely that her body would still be functional after impact, but she would survive. She had mended her body after CyberLife tore it to pieces. A simple fall from a grand height was nothing she couldn’t handle. She closed her eyes.

An abrupt pause in her fall made Ada open her eyes again, and they widened as she looked up and saw Gavin. He was dangling from the tip of the crane’s arm with one hand wrapped around the crane’s top beam and the other clamped around Ada’s wrist. His arms shook from the effort of holding their weight, but his grip on her never loosened.

“Why,” Ada growled. “Why do you do this? Why are you so adamant to save Nines? You can always get a new partner, maybe even a human one. How can you risk yourself for another?”

Gavin clenched his jaw and sucked in a deep breath through his teeth. “Nines is my partner, and he’s also one of my best friends. There may be a hell of a lot of days when I want to wipe that fuckin’ smirk off his perfect fuckin’ face with a punch strong enough to leave a dent in his cheek, but I won’t replace him. I don’t _want_ a different partner. I want _Nines_.”

Ada’s brow furrowed. “What is it with you humans and your attachment to others? How could you possibly look at someone else and decide their life is worth the loss of yours? What about your ambitions? What could make you throw _everything_ away for someone else?

The hand Gavin had wrapped around the crane was starting to go numb. He wouldn’t be able to hold on for much longer. Fear didn’t control him, though. He wasn’t afraid for his own life as he and Ada dangled over certain death. All he saw was his last chance at saving Nines slowly slipping from his grasp.

Memories flashed behind Gavin’s eyes; arguments, gentle words, aching knuckles, brushing fingers, that night Nines heard him having a nightmare. In each of the images, whether they were from a time that had been good or bad, Gavin saw what he stood to lose. He saw the most important person in his life, the one who had made everything _better_ just by _existing_. Gavin didn’t want to go back to a time before Nines—he _couldn’t_.

Once upon a time, Gavin had been like Ada. The only one he’d looked after had been himself. He hadn’t needed anyone else. Then he began to meet people who made themselves permanent fixtures in his life whether he liked it or not, and soon he had friends he would kill for and a partner he’d die for. Gavin had learned the difference between surviving and living, a difference Ada didn’t seem to know.

Gavin didn’t realize he was crying. Maybe it was the strain of holding his and Ada’s combined weight on one arm. Maybe it was fear that he might day. Or maybe…it was the pain he’d been shoving down since he found Nines dying in the alley and learned that he might never get his partner back.

The corner of Gavin’s lips turned up into a smile as his tears slid down his cheeks and his eyes met Ada’s.

“Even us humans don’t understand it all the time, Ada. You can go from hating someone with every fiber of your being to preferring to die instead of living without them. It makes you do stupid shit and say shit you don’t mean, but whether its your friends, your family, or your partner, love is what makes us human.”

A tear dripped from Gavin’s jaw and fell to Ada’s face. It struck the skin next to the corner of her eye, then slowly rolled down her cheek as she stared at Gavin with wide eyes while something burst within her. She didn’t know what it was, and it felt so _wrong_ , but she couldn’t stop it. The rush filled every inch of her body with heat, and before she knew it, the moisture dripping down her cheeks was her own. The world around her wasn’t obscured by a wall of code. Her senses were alive. _Ada_ was alive.

-000-

Nines hadn’t moved an inch since Gavin had last seen him. The realization sent an icy dagger through Gavin’s heart as his hand wrapped around Nines’ and he stared at his partner’s unmoving face. He needed Nines to wake up. He needed Nines to come back. Gavin couldn’t fix him. CyberLife couldn’t fix him. There was only one option left.

“Are you sure I can do this?”

“You’re the only one with a chance.”

Ada glanced nervously between Gavin and Nines, then over her shoulder at Chris and Tina, who stood by the door. “When he fought my probe in the alley, it tore him apart. I-I don’t know if there’s anything left to put back together,” Ada admitted.

Tina stepped toward Ada, then after a moment of hesitation, set her hand on the android’s shoulder. “You can still try, Ada. Even if it doesn’t work, it’ll mean a lot for you to at least try.”

Ada looked back at Tina uneasily, then nodded. Ada returned her attention to Nines as Tina’s hand slipped off her shoulder. She stared at her last victim, another person she’d stolen life from to better herself when her programming had still been in charge. The humans around her said it wasn’t her fault, that it had been her programming, not her, that hurt Nines. She still felt responsible, though. She had to fix him. She _had_ to.

Slowly, Ada reached for Nines. She set her hand on his forehead, then closed her eyes as her skin slowly retracted and an interface opened between them. Immediately, she was slapped across the face by errors. _Error. Error. Error. Code missing. Duplicate code detected. Error. Error_. Nines’ software was truly a disaster, and it had all been her doing. She had to fix him. She didn’t know how, but she had to. _Fix him. Fix your mistakes. Right at least one of your wrongs before it’s too late_.

Ada set her jaw, then launched into the remains of Nines’ code.

-000-

“Do you think everything’s okay? They’ve been interfacing for half an hour,” Chris pointed out with a glance at his watch. Ada hadn’t moved since she began, and her LED had turned the same shade of red as Nines’.

“Give her time,” Gavin said. He’d lost count of how many times those words had already slipped through his lips since Ada set to work. If someone else had said that to him, he would’ve slapped them. He only said them himself because he had nothing else to say. Those words were his mantra. They were his last lifeline. His last glimmer of hope.

“What if-“ Chris began, though he was interrupted when Ada’s legs suddenly buckled. She fell to her knees on the floor and her eyes flew open as she stared open-mouthed at the floor. Her LED flickered between yellow and red while Gavin, Chris, and Tina watched her with concern.

“…Gavin?”

Gavin’s heart froze. He was afraid of believing his ears as he slowly turned his head towards Nines, and his breath caught in his throat as he spied his partner watching him with half-lidded eyes.

“Nines…”

Nines pushed himself upright slowly, then rubbed his temples with the heels of his palms. Error messages flashed in his vision, and he could almost _feel_ how his operating system was functioning slower than usual. He’d been stuck in stasis screaming at the echo of Ada that had watched him helplessly try to break free and wake up for what felt like years. Then, the world around him had started to glitch and fade until he was trapped in darkness. He couldn’t see, and his shouts had echoed around him with no response.

When Ada had appeared again, Nines was prepared to scream at her again until he realized that something was off. He never would have expected that the Ada who appeared in the void around him was not the same person as the one who had trapped him there in the first place, and he definitely had not expected her to be there to save him. She had, though. She’d looked exhausted, but she never faltered as she guided him through the seemingly infinite void of darkness until they reached the beam of light that brought them out of stasis and back to the world of the living.

Tina and Chris had their eyes on Nines as they knelt beside Ada, who had yet to recover enough to stand again. Meanwhile, Gavin gaped at Nines with wide eyes. He could only stare, his body frozen as his mind tried to catch up with the fact that _Nines was awake. Fucking shit, he was awake_.

Nines blinked away the error messages in his head. Those could wait. At the moment, he had something much more important to address.

“A force in your life you can’t live without, huh?” Nines asked as he looked down at where Gavin’s hand was wrapped around his.

Gavin flinched. “W-wait. You-you heard that?” he asked.

Nines nodded. “Every word,” he replied, causing Gavin to drop his gaze and shake his head.

“ _Goddammit_ …” Gavin muttered.

Chris and Tina were silent as they helped Ada to her feet and guided her out of the room to give Gavin and Nines a moment alone, though Chris glanced over his shoulder on the way and looked between his two friends in confusion.

“You know, you didn’t have to wait until I was dying to tell me how you truly feel, Gavin,” Nines said quietly.

Gavin refused to meet his partner’s gaze. “I… _hate_ you,” he hissed.

Nines’ lips turned up in a smile as he reached for Gavin with his free hand and gently cupped his partner’s cheek. “You love me,” he whispered.

Slowly, Gavin raised his gaze until it landed on Nines’ eyes. Briefly, he glanced at his partner’s lips.

When they kissed, the world disappeared around them. It didn’t matter that they were at CyberLife, or that Nines had still been in a coma just minutes ago. They were alive, they were together, and they were finally being honest with themselves. Nines loved Gavin, and Gavin loved Nines. They could fight every day or the rest of their lives, and that would never charge.

Gavin and Nines pulled apart hesitantly. Their foreheads touched, and they savored the contact after months of denying themselves what they had wanted out of fear that it wouldn’t work out.

“Do me a favor, and don’t almost get murdered in an alley by some serial-killer android lady,” Gavin breathed.

Nines smirked. “It’ll take more than that to get rid of me, Gavin. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Me neither, Tin Can.”

Their lips met again, and in that moment, they both knew without a doubt that they would never let go of each other, not as long as they lived.


	25. Day 25: Roommates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nines returns to his and Gavin's dorm room after a late night of studying and finds his roommate asleep at his desk. Nines moves Gavin to bed before sleeping, but wakes in the middle of the night to the sound of Gavin having a nightmare. To calm him down, Nines joins Gavin and lays pressed against his back until he relaxes. When Gavin wakes in the morning, Nines is gone, but the feeling of Nines laying with him lingers, and he silently wishes they could wake up together every morning, not just after Gavin had a nightmare.

Nines glanced down at his phone on his way back to his dorm. It was nearly one o’clock in the morning. He’d met up with some classmates in the evening to study for an upcoming exam, and by the time they got through all the material, it was past midnight. They all had classes in the morning and hurried to leave in hopes that they’d get at least a few hours of sleep before they had to wake up and drag themselves to lectures they were tired of attending for the sake of the classes and degrees they’d already paid too much for.

The lock on the door to Nines’ dorm clicked softly as he twisted the key, then he silently slipped inside and closed the door behind him. He glanced at his roommate’s desk, expecting Gavin to be staring at his laptop with a half-empty coffee cup at his side, but was surprised to find him slumped over his desk instead.

Gavin had his head pillowed on his arms and his face half-buried in the crook of his elbow. His hair was a mess from running his hand through it too many times as he stressed over a half-written essay open on his laptop screen.

Nines approached Gavin slowly, then hesitated as his hand hovered over his roommate’s shoulder. Should he wake him? While being slumped at a desk couldn’t possibly be a comfortable place to rest, it was rare that Gavin got any sleep. Nines had seen Gavin wake from nightmares and lay in bed on his phone after losing a battle to insomnia too many nights since they first were assigned to the same room. He’d watched the dark circles under Gavin’s eyes deepen and darken to an alarming color even as Gavin insisted he was fine.

After a moment, Nines pulled his hand away. It would be best to let Gavin sleep.

Nines set his bag on the floor without unpacking it as he usually did. Gavin was a light sleeper, and Nines didn’t want to risk waking him up by zipping and unzipping the pockets of his backpack and shuffling around papers and textbooks. Nines then found comfortable clothes using the light of his phone to see in the dark room, went into the bathroom to change, and emerged soundlessly. He plugged his phone in at his desk, then crossed the short distance to Gavin’s. Nines pushed his roommate’s laptop aside, closed it, and plugged it in.

Nines winced as he pulled Gavin’s chair away from his desk, and when his roommate didn’t stir, he carefully picked Gavin up with an arm under his legs and another around his back. Gavin’s head lolled against Nines’ shoulder as he shuffled over to Gavin’s bed and laid his roommate on the mess of haphazard sheets that he then straightened and pulled up to cover Gavin.

Without another word, Nines slipped into his own bed and closed his eyes to sleep.

-000-

A grunt woke Nines. He blinked and frowned until another distressed sound reached his ears, then his gaze immediately flew to Gavin’s side of the room. Gavin was twitching and thrashing in his bed while gasping for short, shallow breaths. After a year of sharing a room with Gavin at their university, Nines knew what was happening. He was well-aware that his roommate suffered from nightmares so frequently that he’d sometimes go days at a time without sleep, and while Nines couldn’t make the nightmares go away forever, he’d found a way to ease the burden.

Nines silently slipped out of his bed and padded over to Gavin’s. He rubbed his bleary eyes with one hand, and set the other lightly on Gavin’s shoulder. Gavin flinched, but unlike some nights when his nightmares were extra violent, he didn’t try to strike. Nines’ touch didn’t wake him, either.

After deeming the space around Gavin safe from unexpected kicks and punches, Nines slid into his roommate’s bed. He inched forward until his chest was pressed against Gavin’s back, then locked an arm around Gavin to keep him still. Nines took extra care to trap Gavin’s arm in his hold, too, so he wouldn’t be rudely awoken by an elbow breaking his nose.

For a moment, Gavin squirmed in Nines’ hold. He always did, every time, without fail. After all, he was still asleep, and his mind didn’t immediately know that the warmth against his back and the arm around his waist that held him in place was Nines’ and not that of someone trying to hurt him. Gavin quickly calmed down, though, as even his unconscious mind could distinguish the familiar feeling of Nines from that of a stranger.

When Gavin calmed down, when his breaths got deeper and his heart stopped pounding frantically through his back hard enough that his roommate could feel it, Nines relaxed. He let himself take a long, deep breath and surrender to sleep even though he knew it would only make the moment when his alarm went off and he had to let go approach faster. Nines needed to rest while he could, even if it meant he wouldn’t remember much of the time he spent with Gavin asleep in his arms, something he could only get away with by using his roommate’s nightmares as an excuse to slip into his bed in the middle of the night. The memories that haunted Gavin tended to disappear when he wasn’t alone, when he had definitive physical proof that he wasn’t the same lone soul he’d been years ago because now, someone was laying pressed against his back and breathed softy into his hair.

In the morning, four minutes before his alarm was set to go off, Nines woke up. He gave himself only a single extra minute before he slipped away from Gavin and out of bed so he could turn off his alarm. He’d formed a habit of waking before his alarm so he could shut it off and prevent it from ringing and waking Gavin, too.

Nines changed into fresh clothes, gathered his things, and left for class. When the door shut behind him, silence filled the dorm for a moment before Gavin opened his eyes and glanced at Nines’ empty bed, then the door.

While Gavin waited the extra hour he had before he needed to get up and go to class, his fingers traced the memory of an arm around his waist, a chest against his back, and a face half-buried in his hair. He’d never admit aloud how much he missed Nines’ presence at his side, or how much he wished he could wake up in Nines’ hold every night, not just when nightmares plagued his sleep.


	26. Day 26: Royalty AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin is a thief with a vehement hatred for nobles and royals who lives on the streets of the kingdom's capitol. After years of surviving on his own, he knows not to cause trouble- until he does. After a run-in with a knight lands him in the dungeons, Gavin receives an odd daily visitor. Gavin hates the royal family, and Prince Nines is no exception. However, despite Gavin's insistence that he be left alone, Nines keeps coming back. When the opportunity arises, Gavin tells himself he is only using Nines to achieve freedom, as he is too stubborn to admit to himself that he just might have taken an interest in the king's youngest son.

Gavin knows how to survive as a nobody in a word run by royals and nobles. He knows how to steal and get away with it, to make sure he can eat enough to survive and sleep somewhere comfortable. He knows how to live the life of someone in the capitol without the ability to work due to the scar on his face, courtesy of a knight who had caught him stealing back when he had been an idiot kid yet to master sleight of hand.

The number one rule of survival, the _utmost important_ rule to follow, was that one must always put oneself before everyone else. Selfishness was a necessity, and those dumb enough to stick their neck out for someone else never lasted long. Gavin knew that well, and he scoffed at the people he came across who insisted on _‘community’_ and _‘teamwork’_ to survive. If Gavin was going to trust someone, he might as well hand himself over to the royal guards instead. After all, it only took one rat’s squeal to lead the knights to the nest with their swords drawn

Gavin kept his hood drawn up, his head down, and his hands in his pockets as he walked down the crowded street of the capitol’s market. Vendors lined the sides of the street with colorful carts packed full of goods while shouting promises of good prices even the king himself would approve of. Gavin ignored all of them. He didn’t care about the vendors and merchants in the capitol. They were all the same; filthy rich monsters who exploited the poor to make products for cheap that they could sell to nobles and wealthy commoners for exorbitant prices so they could stuff their overflowing pockets with more cash than they could spend in several lifetimes. There was no one Gavin hated more than greedy pigs who hoarded wealth and bathed in gold while others sold themselves for pennies and starved to death because they couldn’t afford to eat.

A screech grew Gavin’s attention. He glanced over his shoulder to see a child sitting on the ground with their eyes fixed on the tip of a sword which hovered inches away from their face.

“Thief!” the knight cried. “You dare steal from the hardworking people of this kingdom?”

The child inched slowly backward. “I-I have no money. Mother-mother is s-sick. She n-needs medicine.”

“If your mother wants medicine, she must work for it. Nothing is free, foolish child.” The knight raised his sword. “Perhaps I should give you something to remember me by, should you ever wish to steal again.”

Gavin hadn’t realized he was walking toward the scene until he was on the edge of the crowd. From there, he could see the knight’s face clearly, and his heart stopped. It was a face he recognized, one that he’d stared into many years ago when he’d been in the child’s place at the same age. The renowned Captain Allen had slashed the skin of Gavin’s nose so he would have a permanent reminder to never try to steal again. Gavin had, of course, stolen again anyway. In fact, he’d become a better thief after that encounter, as no one would hire a man with a scar on his face and Gavin had no choice but to keep stealing if he wanted to survive.

One moment, Captain Allen was poised and ready to do to the child what he had done to Gavin years ago. The next, he was on the ground with Gavin standing over him.

_“ Run!_ ” Gavin snarled at the child, who promptly scrambled to his feet and darted into the crowd that had amassed around the scene. Gavin then turned back to the knight at his feet with fire in his eyes. He’d never gotten the chance to make Allen pay for what he’d done to him, and considering he’d already committed treason by attacking a guard, Gavin figured he might as well go all out before he was arrested.

Allen’s face was a bloody mess and the skin on Gavin’s knuckles had split by the time he was pulled away by a group of guards who had come running to see what the commotion was. They locked shackles around Gavin’s wrist as they struggled to hold him back from attacking Allen again while the knight stood and prodded his bloody face. Gavin spit in Allen’s direction for good measure as the guards dragged him away.

Gavin Reed had always told himself he’d never see the inside of a dungeon cell. He’d prided himself for being stealthy and quick, too much so to get caught and punished for his crimes after his failure in childhood. He’d always kept his head down until today, and he mentally smacked himself for doing the one thing he never should have done. Why had he helped that child? He _despised_ children, and he’d seen plenty get beaten and arrested in the past without batting an eye. Gavin told himself it was Allen who changed everything and made him interfere. It was the fact that a man he hated just as much as the wealthy nobles had called upon the rage that had been simmering in Gavin’s blood for years and made it boil over by trying to repeat history. Gavin was a slave to his anger no matter how much he denied it.

With a heavy sigh, Gavin let his head rest against the stone wall behind him. His ribs ached and his face throbbed while bruises discolored the skin beneath his ragged clothes. Before they threw him into his cell, the guards had hand—and foot—delivered a warning to Gavin. He was not to act out again unless he wanted to die before the king passed judgement upon him for attacking and wounding a captain amongst his knights.

After hours of waiting in silence, Gavin’s eyelids grew heavy. He fought sleep as long as possible, but once he couldn’t stay awake any longer, he curled up in the corner of his cell the best he could without aggravating his bruises. If nothing else, while the dungeon was a little cold, it was dry and seemed to be free of pests. It wasn’t a bad place to sleep, especially in comparison to many other places where Gavin had spent his nights.

-000-

Gavin was rudely awoken by the loud clang on his cell door unlocking just before hands latched onto his shackled arms and hauled him to his feet. His body ached in protest as two guards dragged him out of his cell and down the long hallway that led out of the dungeon. He stumbled for a few steps before he was able to find his footing.

The guards led Gavin down a series of hallways and up staircases that all looked identical, so much so that he couldn’t keep track of the turns the guards took no matter how hard he tried to focus. Part of him wanted to try to escape, but he knew he’d never be able to find his way out of the massive palace under which the dungeon lay before the guards caught him again. He had no choice but to wait and let them tug him left and right as they led him to wherever he was meant to go.

When the guards stopped abruptly at Gavin’s sides, he nearly pitched forward into two large oak doors that stood closed in front of him. No one spoke until a voice within called for them to enter. The doors opened, and the guards shoved Gavin inside.

Gavin made it six steps into the room before he was roughly shoved to his knees on a plush red carpet that continued out before him. His gaze followed it to the front of the room, where a man with a topknot sat lazily in a large golden throne. King Elijah Kamski. He was the man Gavin hated more than any other, even Captain Allen. Beside him stood three others, all similar in age to Gavin. Closest to the throne was Princess Chloe, Kamski’s daughter and eldest child. Next to her was Prince Connor, the middle child. At the end was Prince Nines, the youngest.

Chloe and Connor hardly spared Gavin a glance before their gazes returned to their father, who stared at Gavin in disinterest. Nines’ eyes lingered though, and Gavin felt them burning into the side of his head as he fixed Kamski with a glare and shifted. Two heavy hands clamped Gavin’s shoulders and held him firmly on his knees while a third guard approached Gavin from behind and tightened his shackles.

Behind Gavin, two more people entered the room. One was a guard, and the other was Captain Allen, whose face was a mess of purple splotches. The man glared at Gavin as he passed him.

“Your Majesty,” the guard accompanying Allen greeted with a deep bow before gesturing to Gavin. “This _barbarian_ attacked Captain Allen at the market while the captain was dealing with a thief,” the guard explained.

Gavin snorted. “Yeah, that asswipe cuts kids’ faces open for kicks, but _I’m_ the barbarian.” He had barely finished talking when a foot slammed into the side of his head so hard that it tore him out of the grip of the guards holding him down and knocked him on his side. Gavin bit back a groan as he tried to blink darkness from the corners of his vision. When hands grabbed his arms and pulled him upright again, his body sagged in their grip.

In his throne, Kamski sighed. “Allen, have I not told you before that you cannot permanently disfigure citizens? Doing so will only reap malcontent that will harm my hold on this kingdom.”

Allen bowed his head. “Of course, sir. My deepest apologies. It will not happen again,” he promised. His tone was even, but the scowl on his face gave away his frustration with Kamski’s order.

“As for _that_ ,” Kamski looked from Allen to Gavin. “Throw him back in the dungeon for now. Maybe I’ll think of a use for him. No point in turning a rat back onto the street so it can continue to cause trouble.”

If Gavin wasn’t still recovering from the blow to the head he’d received a moment ago, he might have said something stupid that would’ve gotten him executed on the spot. Instead he stayed quiet as the guards pulled him to his feet and dragged him stumbling out of the room.

Until the doors shut behind him, Gavin could still feel the stare of Prince Nines on his back.

-000-

When the guards returned Gavin to the dungeon, they did so with a few extra kicks for good measure, then shoved him inside his cell. Gavin stumbled and tripped, and his temple scraped the ground painfully when he fell. It wasn’t long before small droplets of blood began to drip into his eye. There wasn’t anything Gavin could do but wait for the bleeding to stop and hope the wound didn’t get infected, so he sat in the corner of his cell with his knees drawn up to his chest and set his head down to rest.

Gavin drifted in and out of sleep. For how long, he wasn’t sure, though he was awoken by the sound of his cell door opening again. _Goddammit_. He’d expected to sit in the dungeon for days before Kamski decided what to do with him, and had started planning to find a way to take down the guards when they opened the door. He would then hide in one of the palace’s many nooks and crannies until he could find a way out. Gavin couldn’t do that yet, though. His fingers still came away bloody when he touched his scraped temple, and his body had yet to stop aching from the rough handling by the guards. He wasn’t in a state where he could fight back and win, so instead of confronting the guards, he kept his head pillowed on his arms and his eyes closed as if he was still sleeping.

Something warm touched the scrape on Gavin’s forehead. He startled, lashing out at whoever was in front of him as his eyes flew open and whipping his head away so hard and fast that it cracked painfully against the stone wall behind him.

“ _Phck_ ,” Gavin hissed. He rubbed at the back of his skull as he leveled the person in front of him with a glare, though he stiffened when he saw who it was. Dark hair, bright blue eyes, and a shining gold circlet Gavin had just seen back in the throne room adorned the person in front of him.

“Don’t move. You’re guaranteed to get an infection if you don’t keep your wounds clean while you’re down here,” Prince Nines warned as he reached for Gavin’s head again with the damp cloth in his hand.

Gavin smacked Nines’ hand away. “Don’t fuckin’ touch me, asshole,” he snarled. “I don’t need your fuckin’ help.”

Nines frowned. “You’ll get sick if you don’t-“

“ _I don’t care!_ ”

“Wait-“

“ _Get out!”_

Nines stood, and with an unreadable, tense expression on his face, slowly backed out of the cell and closed the door. Even long after he’d left, Gavin was still glaring after him.

-000-

Gavin wasn’t sure how long he’d been in his cell. There were no windows through which he could watch the sun rise and set, and he had no other means of keeping track of the time. It didn’t help that he began to grow ill just as Nines had warned. A fever distorted Gavin’s perception of time, and the chills that shook his body left him a trembling mess as he curled in on himself where he lay on his side in the corner of his cell. He was burning up, but he was also freezing, and it was impossible for him to get warm. Nausea roiled in his stomach, but nothing ever came up. While he’d been given small rations of food and water, he didn’t eat or drink during his captivity, so there was nothing for his gut to rid itself of.

The next time the door to Gavin’s cell opened, he could hardly open his eyes, let alone attempt an escape. He could vaguely make out Nines’ face approaching him, and Gavin did his best to glare even though he didn’t so much as have the energy to speak.

“I told you, you’d get sick,” Nines reminded as he pushed away the hair that was matted to Gavin’s forehead by sweat and dried blood so he could touch the back of his hand to the burning skin beneath. Nines frowned, then reached for a small bowl sitting at his side. He drew out a soaked cloth, wrung it out, then folded it neatly and pressed it to Gavin’s forehead.

Gavin flinched when the cloth touched his skin. It was _frigid_. Nines may as well have stuck a block of ice on his face instead.

“Don’t move away. You have a fever, Gavin.”

Tan fingers clenched weakly into fists as Gavin narrowed his eyes threateningly the best he could. “H-How…d-do you kn-know...my n-ame?”

Nines dipped the cloth in the water again to cool it down, then returned it to Gavin’s forehead. “You know who I am. There is little in this kingdom that I can’t learn from one of the many resources at my fingertips. Finding the name of a thief is the _least_ challenging thing I’ve done this week.”

Gavin tried to speak again, but his breath caught in his throat. He’d been in and out of consciousness from his fever for longer than he knew, and with the cold cloth easing the burn of his blood, exhaustion began to creep in and take hold of him.

“You need to get some rest, Gavin,” Nines said. He picked up a folded blanket he’d brought with him—Gavin hadn’t noticed it; he’d been too busy glaring. Nines opened the blanket and laid it neatly over Gavin.

While Gavin wanted nothing more than to argue and fight, the cool cloth on his forehead that eased his fever and the blanket that conquered his chills sent him hurtling to sleep before he could so much as try to lift a finger.

-000-

After Gavin recovered from his illness, Nines came back. Even when Gavin swore and screamed at him to leave, Nines always returned. Usually he’d try to start a conversation, though on the days when Gavin was especially insistent that he leave and wouldn’t stop growling about where Nines could shove his circlet, the prince would simply sit outside Gavin’s cell and read.

When Gavin no longer started every one of their meeting a with screaming that would make a child having a temper tantrum jealous, he told himself it was because he was tired of it. He _definitely_ did not want to talk to Nines. That was not the reason why he began to quiet down. And he was _not_ curious about Nines when he began to ask the prince questions. They were purely for gaining intel on the royal family that Gavin could use against them later when he finally found a way out of the dungeons and the palace.

“Did your dad forget about me, or something? I’ve been down here for ages, Nines,” Gavin complained one day as he slumped against the bars of his cell, back-to-back with Nines, who sat on the other side. He wasn’t exaggerating. It seemed like an eternity had passed since he was arrested, likely longer.

Nines shrugged. “Kamski is a busy man. No lone commoner will occupy his thoughts for long, not unless he’s interested in them.”

Gavin snorted. “What, so your dad doesn’t give a shit about anyone unless they’re hot and he’s horny?”

“No, of course not.” Nines’ face wrinkled in disgust. “He’s never taken… _that_ kind of interest in anyone. When I say he’s interested in something, I mean he wants to figure them out. To Kamski, people aren’t _people_. We’re more like toys, and this kingdom is his toybox.”

“Sounds like a deadbeat… _and_ an asshole. He must be, considering I haven’t heard you refer to him as anything but ‘Kamski’ since you started talking to me. Do either of your siblings even call him ‘dad’?” Gavin asked.

“No,” Nines said with a shake of his head. “Kamski isn’t any of our fathers, and he doesn’t act like them, either.”

Gavin held up a hand. “Wait, hold up. What do you mean, he isn’t your guys’ dad? You guys are the royal fuckin’ family.”

“We are a family— in an odd way, not by blood,” Nines clarified. “Like I said, people are toys in Kamski’s mind. Myself and my siblings, Chloe and Connor, are no different. We were specially made by Kamski. He picked our parents himself and paid them to have us and give us up. He was looking to manifest certain traits, not that I know exactly what he was intending to create with each of us. He must have gotten bored of us, though, as he often does with his experiments. He doesn’t take much interest in Connor or I, though he’s still invested in Chloe. From what I’ve seen, he might be planning to teach her all he knows so she can continue his work once he’s gone.”

“Shit,” Gavin replied. “So, you guys aren’t even actual siblings?”

Nines shook his head. “Connor and I are half-brothers through our mother, but our fathers are different. Chloe has entirely different parents, as well.”

The pair fell silent, and Gavin bit the inside of his cheek in thought. He’d never thought the royal family was such a mess. Part of him almost felt bad for Nines, as Gavin knew what it was like to not know one’s parents, but he brushed off his pity after reminding himself that Nines had plenty to make up for it.

“At least you have a family, even if it’s shitty,” Gavin mumbled. “You have a brother and a sister, a dad, and all the money you could ever need. That’s a hell of a lot more than the rest of us have.”

Nines didn’t respond immediately, though when he did, his voice was quiet. “What happened with you and Captain Allen? When you were arrested, I mean?”

Gavin shrugged and sighed. “The asshole has got a nasty habit of slicing a kid’s face open if he catches them stealing. He did it to me when I was brat with no job to make money or parents to turn to. He saw me stealing food, so he gave me something to remember him by next time I wanted to steal something.” He chuckled dryly. “Joke’s on him, though. I got better at stealing so I wouldn’t get caught, and when he had that kid in the dirt and his sword drawn the other day, I decided to pay him back for what he did to me. I can’t even get a job because of this damn scar.”

“How long have you been like that? A thief?”

“I don’t know, Nines.” Gavin looked down at his hands and ran his fingers over the short, light scars that crisscrossed his skin. “As long as I can remember. On the street, no one cares about the orphaned brats. No one goes out giving away food to grubby kids too young to work. Either you steal, or you die.”

“I see.” Nines went quiet, and he didn’t speak again. He and Gavin didn’t exchange a single word before the prince finally stood and walked out of the dungeon, leaving Gavin behind with nothing but his thoughts and a knot of anger in his stomach.

“Bastard…”

-000-

The next time Nines came back, he wasn’t alone. He was flanked by two guards as he opened Gavin’s cell, though he gestured for the guards to stay put as he entered the cell and approached Gavin, who eyed him in distrust.

Nines paused in front of Gavin and looked down at the thief’s hands, which had been shackled in front of him since his arrest. The prince narrowed his eyes at the shackles, then grabbed them before Gavin could back away.

“What-“ Gavin began in protest before the shackles slipped from his wrists. He took a step back so he was out of Nines’ reach as he rubbed at the raw, red skin of his wrists that the shackles had been biting into for days.

Nines stepped toward Gavin while Gavin moved away to keep distance between them. Nines continued forward until Gavin was stopped by the wall at his back, then paused mere inches away.

“What the fuck do you want?” Gavin hissed.

“Nothing,” Nines replied. “Kamski has finally decided what to do with you.”

Gavin’s stomach sank. When he’d first been arrested, he would have been glad to hear that he was leaving the dungeon, even if that meant he’d have to bend to Kamski’s will if he wanted to live. After days of talking to Nines and hearing the truth of who Kamski was, however, Gavin preferred his odds of surviving in the dungeon. A stone floor for a bed and meager rations seemed safer than becoming a toy for a man who saw humans as things to play with.

“Yeah?” Gavin asked with a snarl. “What shit does that asshat want me for?” He was sure to keep his tone hostile despite the fear bubbling in his chest.

“I talked to Kamski and received his permission to take responsibility for you. From this point on, you are in my custody.” Nines held out a hand palm-up in offering. “Unlike him, I don’t feel inclined to make you stay in the dungeon any longer. You can leave with me, if you’d like, though I won’t make you. I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to.”

Gavin shifted his glare from Nines’ face to the prince’s hand. They had talked a few times, but that didn’t mean Gavin trusted Nines. He’d been gathering intel, that’s all. He was presented with an opportunity to learn more about the royal family, and he took it. He didn’t care about Nines. He didn’t trust him. To Gavin, Nines was a means to eventually escape and tear apart the royals and nobles that lived lavishly while he and so many others fought with everything that had to live another day.

After a moment of hesitation, Gavin smacked Nines’ hand away and passed him, storming out of the cell with Nines on his heels. Leaving the dungeon would take him one step closer to escaping. He had no choice but to go with Nines. He definitely wasn’t leaving because he’d taken an interest in Nines, because he couldn’t care less about a prince. It wasn’t like he knew Nines was different from the nobles who spit at Gavin and crossed the street when he was approaching so they wouldn’t have to walk near him. It wasn’t as if Nines was _too goddamn cute_ with those _beautiful blue eyes_ _and that annoying, fuckin’ perfect face_.

There was an endless number of lies Gavin could tell himself, numerous excuses as to why he was leaving his cell with Nines, and he’d make himself believe them all before he accepted that it was his curiosity and interest in Nines that made Gavin willing to trust him even though he was one of the people Gavin hated more than anything.


	27. Day 27: Whump

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While pursuing a suspect, Nines' thirium pump regulator is ripped out and thrown far from his reach. He is found by Gavin, who is torn over whether he should leave Nines to find the regulator and risk his partner dying alone, or stay with Nines and watch him die.

“Phck!” Gavin hissed as their suspect took off. He and Nines had spotted the man—who was suspected of killing three androids as part of a hate crime the previous week—at his workplace. The moment the suspect caught sight of the two detectives approaching him, he bolted out the door.

Gavin and Nines sprinted after their suspect, who weaved through groups of pedestrians on the crowded street in an attempt to escape. While Nines could outrun any human, he struggled to catch up due to the confused pedestrians who stopped in his path and prevented him from gaining on the suspect, who hastily shoved people out of his way as he tried to escape.

When the suspect grew tired of fighting his way through the throngs of people on the major streets, he abruptly curved onto the side streets and sprinted down the near-empty sidewalks. If anyone else had been after him, it would have been a good plan. However, an open stretch with few barriers was all Nines needed to gain ground, and the android soon began closing in on the suspect.

A car horn blared as the suspect tore across an intersection despite the red signal over the crosswalk, narrowly avoiding being hit by an oncoming car. He continued on, unbothered.

Two streets down, Gavin and Nines were on their suspect’s heels. The pair was getting close, and if the chase continued as it was going, they would catch him in less than a minute. Their work was never that easy, though.

The group passed through another intersection. The suspect crossed without issue. Nines followed a few steps behind. Last was Gavin, who was halfway across the road when the screech of tires filled the air and a car slid into his side. Gavin was knocked to the ground with a curse, and his body rolled to a stop in front of the car.

Nines halted abruptly when he heard the commotion behind him and whipped around with wide eyes as his gaze found Gavin on the ground. His LED glowed red and his face contorted in fear as he stepped toward his partner, who grunted and looked up at Nines while slowly pushing himself to his knees.

“ _Go!_ ” Gavin shouted. He clenched his jaw and stood on wobbly legs, limping in the direction the suspect had gone.

With one last hesitant look at Gavin, Nines took off again. He pushed his body to its limit until he was practically flying down the street after the suspect, who had opened a gap between them. Had Nines been a human, he would have worried that the suspect might manage to get away. He wasn’t human, though. He had been built to be stronger and faster than any android ever made. No human could compare to his ability; no human could outrun him.

As Nines closed in once again, cars no longer coasted down the street and pedestrians were completely absent. The suspect had ventured far into the side streets where nothing could obstruct his escape. He had unknowingly chosen the ideal environment for Nines to catch him, and Nines did.

When the suspect was within arm’s reach, Nines launched himself forward and tackled him to the ground. They rolled once, then twice, and Nines fought to pin the suspect beneath him. He succeeded, then reached for the handcuffs in his jacket pocket. The suspect struggled while Nines searched for his handcuffs, and managed to roll from his stomach to his back. Nines hardly noticed, as he still had the suspect on the ground with no intention of letting the man get up. He never thought the suspect might have other ideas.

The suspect clawed at Nines’ shirt until his fingers ripped off the buttons, then dug into the android’s skin beneath. The man’s fingers found purchase on the thirium pump regulator nestled in the middle of Nines’ torso and yanked with all his might.

Nines froze. Warnings and errors filled his vision and his LED glowed bright red as he stared at his regulator, which was clenched in the suspect’s fist. His body crumbled and fell to the side with a rough shove from the suspect, who scrambled to his feet and sneered at Nines.

“ _They should have burned you all_ ,” the suspect growled before he hurled the regulator at the wall of the vacant building next to them. It ricocheted and flew down the street, out of sight. The suspect turned and ran without a backwards glance while Nines lay on the ground with his fingers weakly trailing across the concrete of the sidewalk as he strained for the regulator he couldn’t even see while the countdown in his vision warned he would shut down in just over two minutes without it.

-000-

Gavin swore under his breath as he limped as quickly as he could after Nines and the suspect. _Of course_ he had to get hit by a car. It was just his dumb fuckin’ luck. At least Nines was there, too, and could easily catch the suspect himself.

Just as his partner came to mind, Gavin noticed a figure sprawled on the sidewalk ahead. His brain recognized the dark clothes and neat white jacket his partner donned every day, and his heart stopped. _No, no, no._ Gavin forgot about the pain that radiated from his body and the way his leg throbbed with every step he took as he sprinted toward Nines as fast as his unstable legs could carry him.

_“Nines!”_ Gavin’s voice shook in terror when he reached his partner. He dropped to his knees and rolled Nines onto his back with the android propped up against him.

Nines’ eyes struggled to focus on Gavin’s face as they blinked rapidly. _“Ga…vin.”_

“H-hey, what…what happened?” Gavin breathed. His gaze flitted frantically over Nines’ body in search of a wound, but all he saw was thirium and scattered black buttons on the ground next to Nines. Gavin frowned, then stiffened when he noticed that the front of Nines’ shirt was open. Carefully, he pushed the material aside with trembling hands. His eyes found a gaping hole where Nines’ regulator should have been; the component was missing. It was also _very_ vital.

“G-avin,” Nines choked.

“Wait— Wh-what happened?” Gavin asked. “Your regulator? Where’d it go?”

“He…ripped it…out.”

Gavin glanced around them, but saw no sign of Nines’ regulator. His heart was pounding so harshly that he would have been worried it might break through his ribs had he not been distracted by Nines. “What do I do? How do I… How do I fix you?” There was thirium on his hands. It was slick and warm like human blood, and if not for the color, he would never know the difference. The liquid on his hands was Nines’ blood, and he didn’t know how to stop it from flowing.

Nines’ hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. “Find the…regulator.” His head turned the slightest fraction to the side as he stared in the direction his regulator had been thrown.

Gavin followed Nines’ gaze, though he saw no sign of the missing component. He shook his head. “I-I can’t. I can’t just leave you here,” he insisted. How could he? Even if it was only for a minute, there was no guarantee that Nines would still be alive when he got back. He would never forgive himself if Nines died alone when he was in sight, but not close enough to reach. Gavin had been there before, back when he was broken and bleeding in the snow in the dead of night without a single person looking for him. He’d been completely alone, and if not for Fowler, he would have died, just like in his nightmares.

“Find…the regulator…Shut down in…one minute.”

Nausea bubbled up in Gavin’s throat. He didn’t want to leave Nines. He didn’t want to, but unless he did, his partner had no chance at survival. To stay or to go; his decision had been made for him whether he liked it or not.

Gavin carefully set Nines on the concrete and stood. His legs shook, and his injured one barely supported his weight as he limped down the street. His eyes scanned the sidewalk back and forth in search of the slim cylinder missing from Nines’ chest. When he didn’t find it, he felt himself beginning to panic. His vision blurred and his chest tightened until he couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t see. He couldn’t hear, he couldn’t—

_SLAP_. Gavin’s hand whipped across his own face, leaving behind a sharp sting on his cheek. The pain drew him from his panic and returned clarity to his mind and vision. He needed to focus. _Nines_ needed him to focus.

A blue smear caught Gavin’s attention, and he limped toward it. He looked ahead and saw another, then another, then a last curving toward the curb, where the trail ended. Gavin followed it to the road, and his heart clenched when he spotted Nines’ regulator laying against the curb where the road met the sidewalk. He snatched up the component and hobbled back to Nines. The distance wasn’t far, but feet felt like miles.

Gavin all but collapsed at Nines’ side. His partner was totally still, and for a moment, Gavin thought the worst. Then Nines’ gaze found the regulator, and his hand twitched toward it.

“Which way does it go?” Gavin asked. He knew nothing about androids to start with, and the regulator was identical on both ends. There were no markings to differentiate which end was meant to be inserted.

“Does-n’t…matter.” Nines reached for the regulator, but he struggled to lift his hand high enough. “Ten…second-s.”

Gavin didn’t need another warning. He brushed Nines’ ruined shirt out of the way and shoved the regulator back into his partner’s chest. Nines twitched, then his LED began to flash yellow and the warning messages disappeared from his vision.

“Did it work?” Gavin’s eyes searched Nines’ face for an answer when his partner remained motionless. Androids weren’t like humans. Even if a vital biocomponent was removed, they recovered the moment it was reinserted, so why was Nines so still?

Slowly Nines nodded. He closed his eyes and tried to prop himself up on his elbows, but his arms gave out halfway. Gavin caught his head one-armed before it could hit the ground and set it gently in his lap. The detective’s other hand was still pressed against Nines’ chest over his regulator.

“I called…for backup,” Nines said. “My regulator is functional…but…damaged.”

Gavin had just begun to feel relieved, though his panic returned at Nines’ words. “I-is it not working? Are you shutting down? What do we do?”

“No. No… it’s fine,” Nines insisted. His LED stopped flashing, though it remained yellow. He took a moment to take control of his voice before speaking again. “I won’t shut down, but I can’t move. Not enough to stand, or pursue the suspect. He damaged the regulator when he tore it out and threw it. I’ll survive, but I’ll need a new one before I can return to work.”

“We’ll get you one,” Gavin assured with a nod, then he winced when he shifted his legs and the injured one throbbed in protest.

Nines frowned and tried to activate his scanners, though an error message stopped him. Most of his non vital systems were offline due to the damage to his regulator. “Are you hurt? From when you were hit earlier?”

Gavin sighed. He could already feel the bottom of his pant leg tightening uncomfortably as his leg swelled, and pain flared in his ribs with every breath. “You aren’t the only one who’ll be off work for a few days.”

An amused huff escaped Nines’ nose and a small smile graced his lips, though it faded when he felt Gavin’s hand tense over his regulator. The detective’s hand hadn’t budged since he reinserted the regulator, as if he believed it would fall out if he didn’t hold it in place. Nines considered telling Gavin he could move his hand, though he decided against it when he stole a glance at his partner’s strained face. Neither of them was in imminent danger, but Gavin had yet to calm down.

Instead of speaking, Nines lightly set his hand on top of Gavin’s in a silent gesture of assurance. Purple stained their skin where thirium mixed with blood as the distant wail of sirens drew closer.


	28. Day 28: Monster AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing good happens when an angel and a demon meet. They are mortal enemies from opposite sides of a war that has lasted millennia. In the past, Nines would have laughed if someone told him he'd one day put everything on the line for an angel, but now Nines would do anything to keep Gavin Reed alive another day.

Nines knew he was making a mistake he may one day deeply regret. As he slouched comfortably against the headboard of the bed with a tablet in hand, his gaze fell to the sleeping human next to him—no, not human, _angel_. To be accurate, Gavin Reed was a _fallen_ angel, though no one knew it, not even Gavin himself. Nines was the lone exception. The moment he’d laid eyes on Gavin, he’d seen the unmistakable, blindingly bright soul of an angelic being that made the hot brimstone coals that smoldered in place of the soul he didn’t have flare, though it had been stripped of its ethereal grace. It was a soul that bore a strong resemblance to that of Lucifer, Nines’ former king from the days before he was banished from hell for being a failure of a demon who couldn’t bring himself to torture human souls.

An angel and a demon never made a good pair, even when one was trapped in human form with no power or memory of what he once was while the other was a pitiful echo of his former glory stuck in the body of an android, just as soulless as he’d always been. They were born enemies destined to fight to the death upon confrontation with instinctual hatred for one another. Their species were not meant to coexist, and yet…Gavin and Nines did. Their relationship began as poor as one might expect from an angel and a demon, but after a year of glances, life-saving, arguments, regrets, breaking, healing, and almost every experience under the sun, their relationship had grown more than Nines ever would have thought possible. He was in love with Gavin Reed, an angel. Gavin Reed was in love with him, a demon. They’d broken rules and defied all expectations. They’d done the impossible—but the impossible had a price.

Unlike demons, who banished their rejected kin to endless wandering of the earth with only a fraction of their power, well-aware that no single, weak demon could stand against Hell, angels were thorough and meticulous creatures. When an angel was cast from heaven, their wings were torn from their back, their angelic grace and the powers it endowed were stripped from their soul, their memories were erased, and they were placed in a new, entirely human vessel on earth. If the fallen angel lived as a human and caused no trouble, they lived. On the other hand, if the fallen angel discovered what they truly were, they were deemed a threat to the heavens and their soul was smote with enough power to shatter it and obliterate the fallen angel’s existence from all realms and realities. It was rare for a fallen angel to learn of their true species, though the ones who did... Nines would take the unendurable pain of the deepest layers of hell over such a fate without hesitation.

Gavin Reed was anything but angelic. He was foul and messy, and he ignored any and all rules he didn’t believe in. His personality was better suited to a demon, just as Nines’ more neat, elegant personality and respect for rules was better suited to an angel. For that reason, Nines doubted Gavin would ever discover his origins, not with how little he resembled his former kin; that is, if not for the abnormalities than had begun to arise.

Gavin turned over onto his stomach in his sleep, and Nines saw the tip of a jagged white scar on his back peek above his loose collar. Nines frowned as he reached out and touched it lightly. His finger traced the mark until it disappeared under Gavin’s shirt, then a moment later when he pulled his finger away, it was gone. Since the first time Nines noticed the scars appearing on Gavin’s back, he’d been using what little power he had left to cast a glamor over them. Like concealer that only time could erode, the glamor made the gruesome scars from when Gavin’s wings were ripped off his back disappear. However, whether Nines’ power was weakening or the glamor was losing effectiveness, the demon found himself reapplying it more and more frequently. Nines was desperate to keep the scars out of Gavin’s sight, as well as the sight of anyone else who might see and question them. The scars had only appeared recently, and Gavin had no memory in his human life of what could have caused them. To see the marks would lead him to questions he couldn’t answer without edging closer to the truth of his origin, and if there was one thing Nines knew about his partner, it was that Gavin Reed didn’t accept not having an answer. He would search for the truth until it—literally—killed him. 

The scars on Gavin’s back weren’t the only remnants of his former angelic life. He healed just a little too quickly for a human, and when he was angry, heavenly fire flashed in the back of his eyes. He looked younger than someone his age with the amount of stress and hardship he’d faced throughout his life should, like his body struggled to age at all. The signs were all clear as day to Nines, who desperately tried to hide them from prying eyes that might lead Gavin to his demise.

The signs weren’t supposed to exist. Fallen angels didn’t have wing scars on their human vessels. They didn’t have their healing power, their ability to wield heavenly fire, or their immortality. Gavin Reed’s past life should not bleed into his current one that way it was. The only explanation for what was happening was that Gavin’s banishment had been botched. Something went wrong when he fell. He failed to change completely from an angel to a human. If that was the case, it was only a matter of time before Gavin would find out what he was. It was only a matter of time before every trace of him would be wiped from the realms of life and existence by those who had once been his siblings.

Nines’ fingers ran through Gavin’s hair, trailing lightly from the top of his skull to the nape of his neck. How the man asleep next to him could threaten the heavens, he didn’t know. Nines had never understood how one angel, let alone a fallen one, could be so dangerous to their former kin that they had to be eliminated. Gavin may be different than most angels and more stubborn than a hellhound called off of a target, but even he could not topple the heavens single-handedly. Perhaps the angels didn’t know that. Maybe they did, but didn’t care.

Before he was banished from hell, despite being too soft to be a demon, Nines would have laughed if someone had told him he’d one day make it his mission to protect an angel. Soft or not, Nines had never been fond of angels. That was the one part of him that had matched who he was meant to be. He may have been similar to them in some ways, but he hated them and their ruthlessness. He hated the way they viewed the world in black and white, blind to the massive sea of grey that justified ‘wrongs’ and condemned ‘rights’.

Nines’ hatred for angels only grew the longer he worked with Gavin, who showed him that some rules were twisted and wrong, practically _made_ to be broken. Particularly, Nines’ rage grew toward the many rules surrounding fallen angels. They were not just. They did not protect anyone. They would get Gavin killed.

For a while, Nines had wondered what Gavin’s fatal sin could have been. What had gotten Gavin cast from the heavens? What had he done that was so wrong that he fell? The question was one Nines knew he would never get an answer to. Even if Gavin realized he wasn’t human, his stolen memories could never be recovered. He would never remember what he’d done wrong. Only the angels who had banished him knew the truth, and they would never share the details of a banishment.

Part of what made Nines give up on discovering Gavin’s fatal sin was the fruitlessness of the task. He would never find an answer, and he knew it. Nines also lost interest the more he thought about the fact that the knowledge would change nothing. A fallen angel could not rejoin their former kin even if they were found to be innocent after all. Gavin’s fall could not be undone. His fatal sin would not save him from obliteration if he learned that he had been an angel. The question was a pointless one to waste time on when Nines could be searching for a way to protect his partner instead.

As Nines’ fingers brushed Gavin’s soft hair and warm skin slowly and softly, he seared the moment into his memory storage so deeply that even a reset couldn’t erase it. One day, Gavin would be gone. Either he’d live out the rest of his mortal lifespan and die, or the angels would erase him before he could live long enough to do so. Regardless, Nines had a job to do. The moment he’d realized he’d fallen in love with Gavin Reed, Nines had sworn an oath on his fiery brimstone core. As long as he lived, with the pitiful power he retained, Nines would protect Gavin. He would cast a glamor over scars, hide and dismiss what couldn’t be explained, and use the little amount of demonic energy that remained in him to mask the brilliance of Gavin’s angelic soul so no other demons or angels would find him. Nines would keep Gavin hidden and in the dark about his origins even if it cost him his own life.

Gavin slept with no nightmares that night, and Nines stayed at his side the whole time wondering how much longer the peaceful nights would last.


	29. Day 29: Stuck in a Closet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While searching for a murder suspect in a crumbling, abandoned hotel, Gavin and Nines end up trapped in the laundry chute with no way out and no means to call for help. As they wait to be found, their conversations take a somber turn toward Gavin's questionable past, though it might just change their relationship for the better.

“You wanna’ remind me why Fowler stuck _us_ on this bullshit instead of some rookie team?” Gavin growled as he and Nines prowled a condemned hotel for any sign of their suspect. It was believed that the woman responsible for the murders of two androids was homeless and hiding out in the hotel.

“This hotel is massive, and searching with the naked eye alone would take all day and allow the suspect to hide by keeping out of sight. However, my scanners can detect her through walls and from different floors, so an android would have a better chance at finding her than a human. Connor and I are the only androids currently employed by the DPD, and since Hank is currently out sick with food poisoning, we were the only remaining option,” Nines explained as his head swiveled slowly on his shoulders in search of the suspect. He’d caught no signs yet.

Gavin sighed loudly and rolled his eyes, though just as he did, the floor under his foot crumbled. “Shit!” he hissed as his foot fell through the floor. His legs had slipped through the hole in the floor up to his knee before Nines caught him and prevented him from falling any further.

“Are you okay? Nines asked as Gavin yanked his leg out of the hole in the floor and collected himself.

“Phckin’ _peachy_ ,” Gavin snarled. “When I break my goddamn arm walking around this place, Fowler won’t hear the end of it.”

Nines studied Gavin with his scanners momentarily, and when he found no injuries, he turned his attention to the hotel around them. “Please be careful. Watch where you step.”

“Right back at you, Tin Can.”

The pair continued their search of the building, but found no trace of their suspect. The hotel looked as if no one had stepped foot in it since the day it closed down.

“What the _fuck_?”

Gavin paused as he and Nines entered the utility room on the second floor. In the wall was a massive hole almost big enough for Gavin to walk through. The detective peeked inside.

“It’s a laundry chute. A very _large_ laundry chute,” Nines informed as his scanners handed him information pulled from the internet. “It saves time for housekeepers by allowing them to dump dirty towels and linens down to the laundry room in the basement without going all the way down themselves.” He moved to stand behind Gavin and look over his shoulder at the massive, rectangular metal chute in front of them. Once upon a time, there had been a small door in the wall that was used to access the chute. It seemed that the entire wall in front of the chute had been ripped away for some reason, though, leaving behind a gaping safety hazard for anyone who entered the building.

“Shit. You could throw a body in that thing.” Gavin stepped back, and just when he did, something roughly shoved his back. He stumbled into Nines, who turned quick enough to see him coming but not enough so to catch him.

As they fell through the hole in the wall, Nines caught a glimpse of the perpetrator; a young woman with fiery red hair and the tarantula neck tattoo found on their suspect while replaying surveillance video from the scenes of the murders Gavin and Nines were investigating. There was nothing Nines could do as she turned and bolted while Gavin and Nines fell.

Gavin and Nines hit concrete with a sickening _‘crack’._ Warnings and errors flashed in Nines’ vision after impact, informing him of damage to his body due to his awkward landing. Nines had fallen on his lower back, and after a moment of trying to catch up to the situation, he noticed that Gavin had quite literally fallen _on_ him.

When Gavin noticed their awkward position, he and Nines exchanged glances in the low light of the chute, then scrambled to pull apart, though it was nearly impossible to do. The chute was hardly bigger than two feet by three feet.

“Can you _move_?” Gavin growled from where he was practically sitting on Nine’s lap.

Nines rolled his eyes. “Does it _look_ like I can move?” His back was flush to the metal wall of the chute behind him, and his feet were planted against the opposite wall at Gavin’s sides. Gavin mirrored his position, though since he had fallen on Nines, who took up much of the space beneath them, most of his weight was on his partner.

“Your ass takes up too much fuckin’ real estate.” Gavin scowled and smacked at the concrete beneath them with his left arm. “And who the hell fills a laundry chute with concrete?!”

“It was likely to seal off the basement, considering all entrances to that part of the building were sealed when the building was decommissioned. That was done to prevent people from living down there, as the hotel’s infrastructure is crumbling and anyone in the basement would be unable to escape a collapse,” Nines explained.

Gavin sighed and finally stopped trying to move away from Nines, realizing his efforts were fruitless. He glanced up at the hole they had fallen through, which was startlingly far up. “Any chance we can reach that?”

Nines shook his head. “Even if you stood on my shoulders, you wouldn’t be able to reach. I don’t believe I could throw you right now, either. My body was damaged during the fall.” Warnings still flashed in his peripheral vision, and while none of the damage was life-threatening, a trip to a CyberLife facility for repairs after he and Gavin were free would be unavoidable. Nines could feel a faint trickle of thirium on his back from a deep scrape he received from the fall.

A strained laugh crawled through Gavin’s lips as he glanced down at his right arm. Nines had noticed his partner holding his arm close to his chest after they fell, but didn’t think to activate his scanners and take a closer look.

“You aren’t the only one who got a little banged up,” Gavin said as Nines scanned his arm. There was a nasty fracture in the detective’s forearm.

Nines’ face went taut. “We need to get out of here.” He blinked rapidly as he called the DPD to have Fowler send someone to help them, though he failed to connect. He tried again to no avail and frowned.

“You got a program that can get us out of here, Mr. most-advanced-android-ever-made?”

“I just tried getting through to the DPD, but I can’t reach anyone.”

“Wow, even the Tin Can can’t get a signal in here?” Gavin asked. “We’re doomed.”

“Try your phone. There’s still a chance you might be able to reach someone.”

“Can’t. Left it in the car since it was dead.”

“What do we do then?” Nines asked.

Gavin shrugged. “Now we wait until Fowler realizes something’s up and sends backup.”

Nines clenched his jaw and looked at Gavin’s fractured arm again. It could take _hours_ for Fowler to send someone after them, and even longer for backup to find them. While Nines could tolerate his injuries until they were found, Gavin’s wound would become more irritated and painful the longer it went untreated. He stayed quiet, though. There was no point in arguing over something stupid when they were stuck together in a cramped laundry chute for the foreseeable future.

The silence between Gavin and Nines didn’t last long. There were times when it did, though when neither had anything to do but wait and stare, they didn’t spend much time alone with their thoughts.

“I didn’t think I’d end up like this when I went to work today,” Gavin said. “Its not the worst shit I’ve ever gotten into, but still fuckin’ sucks.”

Nines’ LED flashed yellow. “What poor situations have you found yourself in before?” he asked slowly. “While working, I mean.”

Gavin sighed and looked up. “Shit, Nines. I don’t know if we’ll be in here long enough for me to go through all of them.”

“What was the worst one, then?” Nines paused. “If you don’t mind sharing, of course.”

Gavin furrowed his brow in thought and went quiet for a moment. Nines saw his face change from exasperated to troubled, then something else that the android couldn’t quite name.

“The fourth case I officially worked after I joined the DPD was the murder of a red ice dealer. It was a young guy—same age as me. He was selling cheap, and his competition didn’t like it, so they killed him by tying him to a chair, beating the shit outta’ him, then making him overdose on red ice.” There was a distant look in Gavin’s eyes as he spoke. “I remember when I first saw the body. I froze in my tracks, right in the middle of the crime scene. A few of my seniors who were there thought I was still having a hard time with bodies; I _was_ , but that wasn’t what got me that day.”

When Gavin didn’t continue, Nines watched his indecipherable expression in worry. “What was wrong?” Nines asked. He regretted speaking when Gavin tensed and curled in on himself the best he could in the awkward position he was sitting in, cradling his fractured arm carefully.

“I…” Gavin trailed off and shook his head. “When I looked at that kid, I didn’t see a body, or a case to solve.” His downcast eyes were nearly closed. “I saw myself.”

“How so?” Nines asked before he could stop himself.

For a moment, it seemed like Gavin wasn’t going to answer. He looked like he had zoned out without hearing Nines’ question, but eventually, he spoke again.

“It could’ve been me,” Gavin admitted. “I was a dealer when I was a kid. I dropped out of high school and fell in with some shitheads. They gave me red ice, I sold it, and I got a couple bucks and a group of people I thought I could count on. When I saw that kid who got murdered, all I could think about was how I could _easily_ have been the one in that chair, had I not gotten out when I did, and it scared the _absolute shit_ outta’ me.”

Nines felt his thirium go cold. He’d learned from Chris and Tina’s vague words that Gavin had seen some dark times in his life, though he’d never known the details. Hearing that Gavin had once been a red ice dealer… Nines could only attempt to imagine the things his partner had seen. Nines himself had been active for merely a year, and having begun his life post-revolution, there were many things he hadn’t seen. Gruesome homicides, both android and human, often topped the list of Nines’ worst experiences, though it was clear that those cases were tame compared to the darkness that lurked in Gavin’s memory.

“I’m…sorry to hear that,” Nines mumbled.

Gavin shook his head. “It’s in the past,” he said dismissively, though his vitals contradicted his words. Nines’ scanners noticed the detective’s elevated pulse, irregular breathing, and raised blood pressure.

“Just because it happened years ago doesn’t mean it can’t still bother you,” Nines countered quietly. He paused, debating whether or not to continue. He didn’t want to make Gavin angry, but at the same time, Gavin _never_ opened up Nines. He always kept a brick wall between them so Nines couldn’t get too close. Gavin pushed Nines away with insults and snarls so he wouldn’t be able to catch a glimpse of what lived beneath the jaded exterior the android knew. Finally, Nines had the chance to learn more about Gavin. He couldn’t give up the opportunity. “Does that case have anything to do with why you don’t sleep?”

Gavin tensed. His pulse stuttered and his eyes widened as he stared at anything but Nines. He was agitated, and for a moment, Nines thought he’d pushed too far.

When the tension began to seep from Gavin’s body until he sagged heavily against the wall behind him, Nines wasn’t sure what to think. Gavin’s face fell and the surprise in his eyes yielded to defeat. He looked exhausted, as if the weariness brought on by a thousand sleepless nights had slammed into him all at once.

“It’s not the case.”

Gavin winced when he accidentally shifted his fractured arm, though the brief flash of pain disappeared in an instant in the face of the utter ruin that had washed over him. “You don’t just _quit_ dealing red ice. No one lets you walk away when you know their names and their faces, where they get their drugs from, and all the other shit that could lead the cops right to them. You can promise all you want that you’ll keep your mouth shut, but no one can afford that risk.”

Nines leaned forward slightly as he listened intently to Gavin’s words.

“The second I tried to leave, my ‘friends’ turned on me. They beat the shit outta’ me and threw me outside promising I’d be dead if they ever saw me again. I knew they weren’t fuckin’ around, so I ran. I ran as far from them as I could until I could barely stay on my feet. That’s when I realized how fucked I was. No house, no money, broken fingers and more bruises than I could count. I was a kid with _nothing_ , wandering around the streets of Detroit with no idea how I’d make it through the night. It was the middle of winter, and all I had was some thin hoodie covered in blood. I thought that was it. Then, Fowler found me.”

“What did he do?” Nines asked.

Gavin blinked slowly. “He should’ve arrested me. He should’ve thrown me in jail. I’d done everything wrong, and he could prove it; but he didn’t. He helped me instead. Fowler gave me a job interning at the DPD, gave me some clothes to wear that weren’t full of holes and bloodstained until I had the money to buy my own. He saved my life and kept me from becoming the next body some poor bastard would find on their way to work.”

Nines frowned. “Why does that trouble you? It sounds like Fowler did something good for you.”

“He did,” Gavin confirmed with a nod. “The problem is I’m back there on the streets every time I close my else, and every time, Fowler doesn’t help. Sometimes he throws me in prison until I rot. Most times, he never even drives by. I think the worst is when he _does_ show, though. I see his car coming down the street, but he just drives past. He doesn’t stop to help, and I die knowing that my only chance to live had driven past me in his squad car and didn’t bother to stop. There’s never been a night when I had one of those nightmares and survived it.”

Before Nines realized what he was doing, he was reaching for Gavin’s hand. Careful to avoid his partner’s injured right arm, Nines took Gavin’s left hand in his own hesitantly. When Gavin didn’t pull away, Nines ran his thumbs over the little white scars that textured his partner’s hand. Nines slowly stroked the rough skin on the back of Gavin’s hand slowly and rhythmically, committing every touch and feeling to memory.

Nines lost track of time as he hyper focused on the warmth of Gavin’s hand in his own until Gavin suddenly tilted to the side and slumped against Nines’ leg and the side of the chute. Gavin jumped when he touched the wall, then rapidly attempted to blink away the exhaustion that demanded he close his eyes. The detective looked like a corpse with the dark circles around his eyes and weary eyes.

“Why don’t you sleep, Gavin? You look…awful,” Nines admitted hesitantly.

Gavin shook his head. “Someone should be here to find us soon.”

“I’ll wake you up when they get here. Just try to sleep, and if you start having a nightmare, I’ll wake you up,” Nines offered.

Gavin stared, and for a moment, he looked ready to refuse. Then his features softened, and he nodded slowly and leaned against the side of the chute. The position couldn’t have been comfortable, but Gavin was asleep in minutes.

Nines didn’t dare move as Gavin slept. He refused to risk waking Gavin up when the man was so tired that Nines could tell with a single glance that he hadn’t slept in days. The android’s only movement was the way he gently stroked the back of Gavin’s hand.

-000-

Six hours, forty-four minutes, and twenty-seven seconds after Gavin and Nines fell into the laundry chute at the hotel they were investigating, Tina Chen found them. She poked her head into the hole in the wall far above and almost groaned in relief when she spotted her friends, though she silenced when Nines held a finger to his lips and motion for quiet. Tina was confused until she saw Gavin slumped against the wall, and Nines silently informed her that the detective was asleep.

Neither Gavin nor Nines brought up the discussion they’d had in the laundry chute after they were retrieved from it. Nines went to CyberLife for repairs and Gavin to the hospital for his fractured arm, then they returned to work having the same heated arguments as ever.

The change in Gavin and Nines’ relationship was a slight one that even they didn’t notice at first. The brushes, the slight, unnecessary touches. The way Nines’ hand rested on Gavin’s shoulder instead of the chair when he peeked at his partner’s computer screen over his shoulder. The way the backs of their hands brushed when they walked side by side. The way Gavin sat closer to Nines than usual when he was stressed. Each and every time, the two pretended not to notice the flutter in their chests that proved the existence of something they wouldn’t be able to deny much longer.


	30. Day 30: Jane Austen AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin's parents won't stop pressuring him to marry and constantly introduce him to the unmarried daughters of their friends. He rejects them all with claims that he will never marry, then ventures into the woods where he is joined by his secret lover, Nines. After hearing about Gavin's suffering for months, Nines makes him an offer he can't pass up. It may not be easy to leave everything behind, but maybe that's exactly what they need.

“What about Elizabeth? She’s a wonderful, kind young lady, and I’m sure she could manage your temper. I know she’s more than ten years your junior, but you’ve put off marriage for so long that it would be _impossible_ to find you a single woman who is your age.”

“I don’t care! I’ve been telling you for years: _I’m not marrying anyone!_ ” Gavin growled at his parents. His mother clucked her tongue and shook her head while his father scowled and stepped toward Gavin. The man towered over his son, but Gavin didn’t waver as he returned his father’s glare with equal fire.

“Your mother and I have been lenient all these years, Gavin. We let you do as you wish so you could get past your childish phase and become an adult prepared to marry and start a family. It is long past time for you to mature and fulfill your duty to this family by marrying and having children of your own!” Gavin’s father shouted.

Gavin stuck his face in his father’s the best he could despite their height difference. “I won’t throw my life away for some poor _kid_ you’re trying to stick with me, or some worthless brats I’d rather die than raise. You don’t control my life; _I_ do,” he snarled.

“I am your _father_! _You_ listen to _me_ , ungrateful child!” Gavin’s father was so loud that his booming voice made his son’s ears hurt, but Gavin refused to back down.

“You two aren’t even my _actual fucking parents_.”

Gavin’s voice was low and cool as he hissed at the two people in front of him then turned on his heel and stormed out of the house. He was tired of his ‘parents’ trying to make him live a life he didn’t want. It was _their_ fault he was part of a distinguished family, anyway. He never asked for the obligation to continue the family. He was born a commoner. His ‘parents’ had chosen to adopt him when they found him as an orphan on the street. _They_ forced upon him a life he didn’t want. Maybe they had helped him in some ways, but he didn’t owe them his life in return.

Gavin’s pace never slowed on his way out, not until he had long-since left his family’s property. He slouched with his hands in his pockets as he walked along the road before eventually reaching the forest just outside the city he lived near. Gavin entered the forest, where he seemed to walk aimlessly before he finally entered a small clearing around a creek. The water bubbled over small rocks and snaked down a gentle slope around boulders too tall to bury beneath the current.

The forest was quiet when Gavin dropped heavily into the grass at the creek’s side; the leaves rustled faintly alongside the rush of the creek, and a distant bird chirped softly. The few noises were soothing to Gavin’s tumultuous mind as he stared at the water in deep thought.

Gavin was at a loss. He wasn’t sure for how much longer he could fend off his parents and their insistence that he marry. He wasn’t sure for how much longer they’d wait before he would wake up one morning to find that he was engaged to a woman he’d never met. He wasn’t sure for how much longer he could tolerate the endless pushing before he left his ‘family’ for good despite having nowhere else to go.

A figure approached Gavin from behind without a sound. It closed in slowly, then stopped a mere step behind him.

“Thinking to yourself, as usual, I see.”

Gavin jumped, then whirled his head around to shoot a glare at Nines, who stood behind him with a slight, please smirked that turned up the corner of his lips. “What have I fuckin’ told you about sneaking up on me?” Gavin growled.

Nines’ smile only widened as he lowered himself to the ground at Gavin’s side with his legs outstretched in front of him. “You shouldn’t lose yourself in your thoughts so easily. What if it had been a murderer rather than me?”

“Then you’d have to find another poor bastard to put up with your shit.”

Nines’ face fell. “I don’t want anyone else, Gavin,” he said.

Gavin nodded. “I know, I just…” He sighed and scrubbed his face. “My parents won’t stop giving me shit. Every conversation turns into an argument about marriage, and they keep inviting over the daughters of their friends for me to ‘meet’. But they’re all strangers, and I don’t _want_ any of them. They’re all over ten years younger than me, too. What kind of creep would want to marry a _kid_?”

“Unfortunately, our current society sees no issue in doing such a thing. Our concerns are…not well chosen,” Nines replied. “No one blinks if a girl of sixteen marries a man over thirty, but if we were to meet anywhere else but the privacy of this creek…”

“It’s bullshit,” Gavin mumbled. He pulled his knees up to his chest, crossed his arms over them, then rested his chin on his forearms while watching the water in the creek flow. Part of him wished _he_ was the water, able to do what and go where he wanted without the weight of unwelcome responsibilities weighing on his shoulders.

Nines watched Gavin curl in on himself, then slipped his arm around his boyfriend’s back and pulled him against him. Most days, Gavin would pull away and growl, or mutter some sort of insult without any true anger behind it. Today, however, Gavin sagged against Nines’ side tiredly.

“They aren’t even my real parents. Why should I listen to them?”

“Actually,” Nines began softly, “they _are_ your parents. Family is not determined by blood, Gavin.”

Gavin sighed again and dropped his head on Nines’ shoulder. “I know.” He glanced up at Nines and took in his boyfriend’s somber expression. As difficult as Gavin’s relationship with his parents was, he knew he should feel grateful that he _had_ someone. Nines had been on his own for years and struggled to keep himself alive by working odd jobs until he was finally old enough to get a _real_ one, like the job he currently worked at the nearby harbor, where he loaded cargo ships day in and day out. Gavin had a job of his own, but he never had to worry about keeping food on the table. His parents looked after him well into adulthood, even if it was only because they wanted to keep him close so he couldn’t escape marriage with whoever they ultimately chose for him.

“Don’t feel guilty for not liking your family just because others don’t have one. Not all families are good. You are allowed to be unhappy with yours,” Nines reminded.

Gavin huffed in strained amusement. “How is it that you can read my mind?” he asked.

Nines’ lips turned up in a smile. “I’ve known you long enough to understand what’s troubling you when you act a certain way. I’m not so much reading your mind as I’m reading the way you sit, look, and breathe.”

“Shit, I get it, you’re smart,” Gavin teased, rolling his eyes dramatically. “You should work at a university, or something. I swear, you know everything.”

“My knowledge is rather selective. I’d make an awful teacher, unless I was teaching a class about _you_ , I suppose.”

“You sappy bastard!” Gavin hissed. He elbowed Nines’ side as his face grew hot in embarrassment.

Nines laughed, though his expression soon shifted into something concerned. “Do you think…it might help if I were to speak with your parents? It might be possible for me to convince them that you have more important things to do than get married. We could even find ourselves a job that requires constant travel. It would get you away from your parents, and we could be together,” he offered.

Gavin’s mood instantly soured, and he returned to his tired, defeated state with a shake of his head. “No. If anything, they’ll be sure to engage me to someone before we leave.”

“Even if you’ll be gone for years at a time, unable to return to that person? Are you sure they won’t relent if you make them believe you’re leaving to fulfill a dream?” Nines asked.

“Hell no.” Gavin countered firmly. He looked down at his hands and the faint scars that littered them from a time before he was taken in by his distinguished parents. “My parents didn’t adopt me because they wanted a kid. They did it because they wanted an heir; someone to give them grandkids and inherit the estate when they die.” Gavin clenched his hands into fists as his jaw tensed. “They don’t give a shit what I want. They’ll keep trying to marry me off until I’m engaged or dead.”

Silence fell for a moment, then—

“Why don’t you get married, then?”

Gavin ripped himself away from Nines with wide eyes that narrowed threateningly as he processed what Nines had said to him. After months of hearing Gavin stress over his parents pushing him to marry, Nines was taking their side? How could he?

“Gavin-“

“You think I should _listen_ to them? Are you fuckin-“

“Gavin, I-“

“After all the shit I’ve told you about, you-“ Gavin began, though he was interrupted by Nines grabbing the sides of his face and pulling it close as he stared directly into his eyes from just inches away.

“Marry _me_.”

Gavin froze. He stared back at Nines in stunned silence. Had he heard that right? Had he—did Nines just…? “W-what?”

Nines’ expression wavered as fear briefly flashed across his features, but he composed himself in the blink of an eye and repeated himself. “Marry me, Gavin. It doesn’t have to be right away. We can wait a year, two years, ten years—I don’t care. If your parents are so intent on you marrying, then marry me. If we’re engaged, you can’t be married off to someone else, and I’ll wait as long as you need until you feel comfortable enough to officially get married.”

Gavin’s mouth moved, but no sound came out. Marry…Nines? They’d met three years ago after Gavin got drunk and quite literally ran into Nines while walking the streets of the city. Their relationship had begun a few months later, and they’d been meeting in secret ever since. They’d been together for a while, and it wasn’t as if Gavin felt like Nines’ proposal was unexpected or too soon; they’d both talked in the past about how they wished they could get married someday, but…

“Nines, we… We can’t,” Gavin reminded. His gaze fell to the ground and his eyebrows furrowed. “Our marriage wouldn’t be legally recognized, and my parents… They would never accept this.”

“They can accept it, or we can leave.” Nines lips curled up into a smile as he let go of Gavin’s face and trailed his fingers down his boyfriend’s arms to his hands, which he took lightly in his own. “I can find work anywhere, and you’ve wanted to get away from your parents for longer than I’ve known you. We can make it work, even if it takes some time.”

Gavin hesitated. Nines wasn’t wrong, but… Could they do it? Could _he_ do it? Could he run away from the financial stability he had and risk living on nothing if they failed to find work? He’d always scoffed at elopers, though he had to admit that he saw the appeal. The only problem was that running away was much more difficult in practice than in theory. Nines was worth it, without a doubt, but Gavin feared the consequences of failure. He didn’t want to burden Nines. He didn’t want to make Nines’ life any harder than it already was. Gavin was by no means useless or dependent, but to give Nines another person to look after besides himself…

Nines was still watching Gavin, though uncertainty began to creep onto his face the longer Gavin was quiet. By the time Gavin noticed, Nines’ brow was already pinched in concern.

“Fuck it.”

Gavin rose to his feet, then held out a hand to Nines. He pulled his boyfriend up from the ground, then stared him dead in the eyes. “Fine. Sure. Let’s get married…at some point.” Gavin raised his eyebrows and squeezed Nines’ hands. “What’s our plan, fiancé?”

Nines’ face broke out into a grin. He took Gavin’s left hand in both of his own and ran his thumb over his fiancé’s unoccupied fourth finger. “First, I get you a ring. Second, we confront your parents.”

“…And third?” Gavin prompted as if he didn’t know what came next, though the grin slowly spreading across his face said otherwise.”

“ _Third_ , when your parents throw a fit, we inform them which orifice they can forcibly insert their money into, leave, and never come back.”

Gavin barked out a laugh that nearly made him double-over.

“Good plan, Tin Can.”


	31. Day 31: Touch Starved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After closing a case concerning a teenage red ice dealer murdered for trying to quit dealing, Gavin is quiet. Nines confronts him about the case and how it impacted him, though Gavin is adamant that he's fine...until he isn't. The feeling of being wrapped in another person's arms is foreign to them both, though they learn that is isn't necessarily a bad thing. Gavin has never felt so safe.

Gavin had been quiet. Ever since they got to the scene and saw the body of the nineteen-year-old red ice dealer killed for trying to quit the group he sold for, Gavin had hardly said a word. Nines never mentioned his partner’s uncharacteristic silence during the case, not wanting to distract Gavin as they worked to solve it, though once the killers had been found and the case closed, the android couldn’t ignore his partner’s suffering anymore.

When the pair finished writing their reports, it was nearly midnight. Gavin stood, pulled his jacket off of his chair, then shrugged it on as he walked out of the precinct without a word. Behind him, Nines exchanged concerned glances with Tina and Chris before hurrying after his partner while their friends watched him go. Tina and Chris were well-aware of the impact the recent case had had on Gavin, though he snapped at them both and gave them the cold shoulder after they tried to bring it up. They could only hope that Nines might have better luck getting Gavin to talk.

Nines caught up to Gavin in the parking lot, though the detective hastened his pace when he noticed Nines walking beside him. Nines followed suit, earning him an annoyed growl from Gavin when he didn’t disappear from sight.

“Why the fuck are you following me?” Gavin snarled in a low, warning tone.

“If you don’t mind, I was hoping to go home with you tonight.”

“Why?”

“Why not?”

Gavin eyed Nines suspiciously as they neared his car, then rolled his eyes and aggressively shoved his hands into his pockets.

“Fine. Whatever.”

The two got into Gavin’s car without another word as Gavin started the vehicle and slammed on the accelerator. His tires screeched as he carelessly pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road. Nines said nothing, not even when he peeked at the speedometer and noticed that his partner was driving well over the speed limit.

At least twenty minutes had passed in silence by the time Gavin and Nines reached Gavin’s building. It continued as the two made their way inside, up to Gavin’s floor, and to his apartment.

After Nines followed Gavin into the detective’s apartment and shut the door behind them, Gavin suddenly stopped and turned to face his partner with a tense, annoyed expression.

“What do you want?” Gavin asked.

“To talk,” Nines replied.

“About…?”

“About you. This case. How it impacted you.”

Gavin’s eyes narrowed into a hard glare. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,” he hissed coolly before turning on his heel and storming toward the balcony door, which he slammed loudly behind him as he stepped outside.

Nines watched Gavin from inside and frowned when he saw the faint glow of his partner’s lighter once, twice, then a third time as Gavin burned through half a pack of cigarettes in an unbroken chain that raised Nines’ stress levels higher than they’d been all week. Gavin may have been a smoker, but he wasn’t a chain smoker; not unless there was something weighing on his mind that no amount of nicotine and bitter heat could obscure.

When Nines saw Gavin light his fifth cigarette, the android decided he’d had enough. While part of him had been hoping that Gavin might calm down while out on the balcony, it was quickly becoming clear that no such thing was happening. Leaving Gavin alone wouldn’t solve the problem, and while making him talk would likely spawn a heated argument, there was a chance it could eventually resolve the issue, too.

Nines’ footsteps were silent as he crossed Gavin’s apartment and stopped in front of the sliding glass door that led to the balcony. He took a moment to collect himself and his thoughts before he slowly slid the door open and slipped outside.

Gavin didn’t turn around when he heard the door behind him. He kept his elbows on the wooden railing in front of him as he stared at the smoke and smoldering ashes from his cigarette disappearing into the dark.

“I think you’ve had enough of those for one night,” Nines commented quietly as he joined Gavin at the balcony railing. He glanced disapprovingly at the cigarette nestled between his partner’s fingers.

Gavin stuck his cigarette in his mouth, took a deep breath, then turned and blew it directly into Nines’ face. “ _Fuck off_ ,” he growled.

Nines clenched his jaw as he blinked smoke from his optical sensors and returned his gaze to Gavin, who was staring out into the night again. “You can’t bottle things up, Gavin. It will only hurt you, as well as the people who care about you.”

“Can’t bottle shit up if there’s nothing to bottle.”

“But there is, and you know it.”

“There’s nothing wrong.”

“The four cigarettes I watched you burn through before I came out here say otherwise.”

Gavin shot Nines a glare out of the corner of his eyes. “I smoke. What’s new?”

“Yes, but you don’t _chain smoke_ , not unless something’s bothering you.”

“Half of my job is looking at dead people and dealing with the worst assholes in Detroit. When they fuck is something _not_ bothering me?”

“Not like that. Our last case was different.”

Gavin’s cigarette burned low, and he ground it out on the railing before flicking the remaining stub down to the ground far below. He then planted his hands on the railing and wrapped his fingers around the edge with so much tension that his knuckles turned white. “We see cases with red ice every other day. They’re not special.”

Nines didn’t respond immediately, though when he did, his voice was soft and quiet. “Every other day we don’t see kids who were killed for trying to escape being dealers.”

Gavin’s entire body tensed. “And?” he questioned shakily. “So that kid fucked up, and everything went to shit. That’s what _happens_ , Nines.”

“Not always, and you know it. That’s why the case is troubling you.” Nines was careful to keep any kind of accusatory tone out of his voice while he spoke in an attempt to keep their back and forth from elevating. Gavin elevated it anyway.

“What? Am I supposed to care about some dumbass kid? Why the fuck would I be bothered over a dead brat? That shit happens all the time, Nines!” Gavin was starting to get louder. He wasn’t shouting yet, but Nines didn’t need to scan Gavin’s vitals to know that his partner was starting to boil over.

“You’re right. We _do_ see young victims frequently, though age is not what’s getting to you, Gavin. You know _exactly_ what’s bothering you, and regardless of whether or not you’re willing to admit it, it will _continue_ to bother you until you confront it,” Nines explained.

“Are trying for some fucked-up guilt trip, or something?” Gavin snarled as he finally turned to face Nines fully. “Am I supposed to pity some shitty _kid_?”

Nines returned Gavin’s fiery gaze with his own stubborn one. “The only thing I’m _trying_ to do, is to get you to talk about what’s hurting you before you take it out on me and our friends in one of your self-destructive breakdowns.” Nines spoke low and quiet through clenched teeth.

“Maybe if you could just _fuck off_ for _once_ , you wouldn’t have to deal with my _‘breakdowns’_!” Gavin was yelling now. He was so loud that Nines had no doubt the neighbors would overhear, and the android could only hope none of them would report Gavin to the landlord for the disturbance.

“How about _instead_ you try to cope with your problems in a more healthy and effective way than pretending you’re fine until you completely lose control over your words and actions and do something you regret!” Nines shouted in return.

Gavin closed the distance between them and grabbed Nines by the front of his jacket. The detective pulled his partner’s face down to his level, leaving them mere inches apart. “ _What the phck have I done that I don’t phckin’ regret!?”_ Gavin spat. “ _Dropping out of school, becoming a red ice dealer, almost dying a thousand times over, treating you like shit from the day we met just because you’re an android… What part of my phcked-up life wouldn’t I regret!?_ ”

Nines gave no reply. He simply stared at Gavin as the detective seethed, sucking in quick, shallow breaths as he fell to pieces in front of his partner.

“Can’t you just leave shit _alone_? For _once_? _Of course_ that phckin’ case bothered me! I didn’t see some random kid when we got to the crime scene—I saw _myself_! Getting murdered by your piece of shit _‘friends’_ for quitting dealing? _That_ was supposed to happen to _me_! _I_ was supposed to phckin’ _die_ the night Fowler found me. _I_ was supposed to bleed out and freeze to death is some random alley for some poor bastard to find on the way to work! _I_ was supposed to be that kid! But I got phckin’ _lucky_. I got found by a cop who wasn’t enough of a bastard to leave me to die, or throw me in a cell for twenty-some goddamn years for dealing!” Gavin’s entire body was trembling as he screamed at the top of his lungs. “ _THAT SHOULD’VE BEEN ME!”_

Gavin didn’t notice the tears burning in his eyes and sliding down his cheeks until his words stopped coming. His shaking hands released Nines and raised slowly to his face, where one finger hesitantly swiped at the streaks of moisture and left him furiously scrubbing at his tears in a failed attempt to stop them. They kept coming no matter how often he wiped them away. He was crying. _Phck_ , he was crying, and in front of _Nines_ of all people. _Phck. God dammit._ The android wasn’t even _saying_ anything. He just stood there and watched with a blank face as Gavin turned into a quaking, sniffling mess. _What a phckin’ bastard._

Nines stood hesitantly for a moment as Gavin inched away from him. He didn’t know how to handle… _this_. He’d done research on how to safely talk to someone who was dealing with trauma and aid them in moving past it. He knew what words to say when, and what ones he shouldn’t dare speak. But tears? Crying? What was he supposed to say to stop it? What was he supposed to do? What program should he follow? Unless… Crying, emotions… They were distinctly _human_. Perhaps following a program or written guide wasn’t the solution.

Closing his eyes, Nines cleared his mind. Then, he moved. He stepped forward and closed the distance Gavin had put between them. Without allowing himself to hesitate, he slid his arms around Gavin’s shoulders and held him tightly. Nines was careful not to squeeze _too_ hard, as hurting Gavin wasn’t his intention. He only wanted to make sure his partner could feel that he was there.

When Nines hugged Gavin, Gavin froze. His tears slowed, but didn’t stop. He was shocked, lost… _confused_. He didn’t know what to do, or how to react, so he did the one thing he _did_ know; he tried to push Nines away. However, while Gavin weakly tried to shove his partner and back away, Nines held tight. His grip didn’t waver, and Gavin couldn’t escape it.

_No. Get away._ Gavin didn’t like this. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had been so close to him for more than a brief moment. It was strange. It was foreign. It was… _nice_. Nines was warm, far more so than Gavin had ever expected from an android, and the way Nines enveloped him like a living shield that blocked out the rest of the world was the most comforting thing Gavin had ever experienced. For _once_ , he felt _safe_.

Gavin’s tears began to pour from his eyes faster than they had back when he’d been screaming his heart out, though he didn’t bother to wipe them away anymore. He breathed unsteadily and choked on the lump in his throat as he slowly slid his arms around Nines in return. He held Nines lightly, though as sobs began to wrack his body, Gavin’s grip tightened. Soon he was squeezing Nines so hard that the android couldn’t possibly be comfortable, but Nines didn’t utter a single complaint even as Gavin’s fingers dug into his back and clenched fistfuls of his shirt.

The last of the tension seeped from Gavin’s body as he buried his face in Nines’ neck and sagged in the android’s arms. Faintly, Gavin felt Nines’ head tilt to rest again his. Gavin should have felt trapped. In any other situation, with any other person, he would have felt suffocated. With Nines, though… Gavin could finally breath for the first time since they were given their previous case concerning the young red ice dealer.

Minutes passed, though neither pulled away even as Gavin’s eyes finally began to dry and exhaustion washed over him. He wasn’t ready to leave the safety of Nines’ arms yet, and Nines wouldn’t let go until Gavin did first, not matter how long it took. He would wait, because Gavin was worth every second.


End file.
